Finding Forever
by Kelley2
Summary: When Ephram left Everwood for London, the last thing he expected to find there was the person that he wanted to be with forever...Ephram and Original Character
1. Part 1

Finding Forever

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Post Season 3. When Ephram left Everwood for London the last thing he expected to find was the person who would be his forever…

Ephram crossed the street and looked at Big Ben in the distance. He had been in London for two weeks, and was thinking about heading up to Scotland in a few days. And for the first time in a long time he felt free and like a weight had been lifted off of him.

He shifted is backpack from one shoulder to the other, wishing he had left the laptop in his hotel room. Walking down the street he noticed a coffeehouse advertising Internet access, and realized that he hadn't checked in at home in a few days. His dad had finally agreed that some time away might be for the best, on the condition that Ephram check in by either phone or email every couple of days. Thus he had insisted that Ephram bring his laptop.

Ephram entered the coffeehouse and sat at one of the tables, and looked around. He took out the laptop and ordered a cup of coffee. While waiting for his coffee he typed up a couple of quick emails to his dad and Delia before checking his email. There were a couple from Bright and Hannah, as well as one from Amy and, surprisingly, another from Madison, neither of which was he ready to respond to.

Looking around the near empty coffeehouse again, he decided to order another coffee to go and see if he could get to the Tower of London before it closed. He packed up the laptop, grabbed is coffee, and walked out the door…right into a girl his age coming into the coffeehouse. Books, papers, and coffee went flying.

"Damn," she whispered, as she looked at all the papers that had scattered, and then kneeled down to gather them up.

"I'm sorry," Ephram apologized, kneeling down to help her.

"It's okay," she replied with a faint British accent. "I wasn't paying attention."

Ephram looked up at her for the first time, stunned. She was beautiful. Her blue eyes were so pale they were almost colorless. And on anybody else the long black curly hair would have looked out of place with here eyes, but looking at her it was the only possible combination. "Me either," he finally responded. He looked down at the papers in his hand and was surprised to discover that it was sheet music. "Are you a musician?"

"Singer," she answered as she stood up. "I'm Olivia…Olivia Perry."

"Ephram Brown," he replied as he reached down and picked up his now empty coffee cup.

She looked at the empty cup, feeling guilty. "Why don't you come back inside? I'll get you another cup," she offered.

"No, that's okay."

Olivia cocked her head to the side and smiled. "On the house."

Ephram glanced at his watch out of habit, before realizing that he was on his own, and didn't need to be anywhere. He could do whatever he wanted. "Okay," he agreed, smiling. He took a step and held the door open for Olivia. As they entered the coffeehouse Ephram noticed for the first time that she was wearing the same black shirt and skirt that the waitress inside had been wearing. After entering the coffeehouse Ephram took a seat at the counter, as Olivia poured him another cup of coffee.

Olivia watched him as he stirred cream and sugar into his coffee. He was kind of cute… He was the first guy that she thought was cute in a long time. She turned to set the coffee pot down, and remembered his reaction to her sheet music. "So, are you a musician?" she asked as she tied her apron around her waist.

Ephram looked down at his coffee and smiled sadly. "I…uh…I used to play the piano."

"Yeah? Were you any good?" she asked, sounding genuinely interested.

"I had an audition at Julliard," he answered, looking up at her again. He could tell from the expression on her face that she was truly impressed.

"Wow, did you get in?"

"I didn't actually go into the audition."

"Why the hell not?" Was he completely crazy? she thought. He had actually gotten an audition at **Julliard** and he didn't go through with it?

Ephram glanced back down at his coffee, and was quiet for a few minutes. "It's a long story," he finally answered quietly.

Olivia looked around the empty coffeehouse and then back at Ephram, and shrugged. "I've got time," she offered.

Ephram looked around as well, thinking. The only people he had talked to were the ones involved. Maybe it would be good for him to talk about it with someone who didn't know everyone involved. And even though he had just met Olivia he felt like he could talk to her, and she seemed genuinely interested.

"When I was New York for the audition, I ran into my ex-girlfriend…"

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An hour later Ephram finished his story, and Olivia stared at him in silent amazement. This was not the story she had been expecting.

"I hate when people do that!" she exclaimed suddenly.

Ephram looked at her confused. "Do you think it happens that often?" he asked thinking about all the lies his father, Madison, and Amy had told him.

Olivia shook her head. "I mean make decisions about your life, just because they think they know what's best."

"You sound like you're talking from experience." Ephram raised an eyebrow and looked at her questioningly. "So…what happened to you?"

Olivia shrugged and looked down at the napkin she was shredding. "My ex-boyfriend spent the better part of a year cheating on me. Apparently everybody knew…but me, of course…and no one wanted to tell me because they thought I was better off not knowing," she explained. She only had one friend left from before that. Thankfully, her best friend hadn't known. It probably helped that she went to a different school. Olivia looked back up at Ephram. "And because walking in on him shagging Marcy Webster was a much better way to find out," she finished sarcastically.

"What'd you do?"

"I guess you could say I shut down…for a few weeks. Then I decided that I needed a change. I graduated early. I moved out of my parents' house, and got my own flat. I got this glamorous job," she said rolling her eyes. "And I started taking classes at the music conservatory. So…what about you?"

Ephram looked at her and smiled before answering. "I ran away to London."

Olivia laughed. Yep, definitely cute. "Good plan."

And in that moment Ephram knew that Olivia Perry would be a part of his life for a very long time.

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One Week Later…

"Where are you from?"

"Huh?" Olivia responded, confused. She set down their coffee and sat next to him on the couch. They were hanging out at the coffeehouse, like they had every afternoon since they had met a week earlier.

"Sometimes you sound American, sometimes you sound English," he explained. "Which is it?"

"Both, actually. My mother is American, and my father's British. We lived in New York City until I was 12; then we moved here."

Ephram was quiet for a minute before returning to a topic they had avoided since the day they had met. "So, I've told you all about Amy and Madison…tell me about you're ex-boyfriend."

Olivia took a deep breath before responding. "His name is Michael. He's a year older than us, but we were in the same grade. I met him at school right after we moved here."

"Did you start dating him then?"

She shook her head. "I was 15."

"So, you were together for…two years?" he asked. "When did it happen?"

"Last fall," she answered.

They were both quiet for a minute. "Do you miss him?" he asked quietly.

Olivia shook her head again. "Not really. Do you miss Amy?"

Ephram thought about it for a moment before answered. "I miss my friend Amy. But my girlfriend Amy?" He shrugged. "I think I miss the idea of her more than I actually miss her." He paused for a moment and looked down at his coffee cup and smiled sadly. "When we moved to Everwood she was the girl of my dreams."

"What happened?"

"I don't know." He shook his head. "I loved her, but…I'm not sure I was actually **in** love with her…she wasn't…forever. The problem was she thought I was hers."

"What about Madison? Did you think she was forever?"

"I thought so," he whispered before looking up at Olivia and smiling sadly again. "She wasn't the person I thought she was. The person I was in love with never would've been able to lie to me like that."

Olivia reached over, took his hand, and gently squeezed it. Ephram looked at her and smiled, glad that he had someone to talk to.

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Over the next few weeks they quickly became close friends. Olivia probably knew him better than anyone else. Ephram started hanging out with Olivia and her friends from school, and soon they were his friends as well. She had dragged him to a few of her classes, and even convinced him to sign up for a couple on his own. Ephram was playing the piano again, going to school, and living on his own. He had friends who were also musicians, and had even gotten a job at a music store down the street from the coffeehouse…and he was happier than he had been in a long time; maybe happier than he had ever been.

Unfortunately, the only person in Everwood who knew about his new life was Bright. His father thought that he just hadn't moved on yet, and Amy…Amy he talked to as little as possible. He heard it in her voice every time he talked to her. That hop that he would get over it, come home, and everything would go back to normal. He didn't have the heart to tell her that the longer he stayed away, the better he felt about his decision.

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It was a sunny August afternoon, and Ephram had officially been in London for two months, and he and Olivia had decided to play hooky from their afternoon classes. They were wandering around Hyde Park eating ice cream, and attempting to settle a bet.

"Come on, Liv." Ephram nudged her shoulder as they walked.

"Cut it out!" she laughed. She cleared her throat a couple of times, attempting to be serious. "Okay, I've got it. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, how many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?" She finished and looked at him proudly, and held out her hand to him. "I believe you owe ten pounds."

Ephram reached into his pocket, laughing. "That was worth it for the half hour it took you to say it," he said as he handed her the money.

"Jerk," she replied, shoving him.

He laughed again as he straightened up, and they continued walking. After a few minutes he put his hand in his pocket and she looped her arm through his.

"I talked to Mark this morning," Liv said after a few minutes of silence. "He said he was thinking that everyone could meet at the pub tomorrow night. Then he wants us all to go back to his place for a 'game night,'" she explained using air quotes.

"'Game night?'"

"I don't know," she replied rolling her eyes. "You wanna go?"

Ephram tossed the rest of his ice cream cone in a trash can as they passed and shrugged. "Who all's going?"

"The usual. You and me, Mark, David, Nick, Maggie, Sara, and Annie."

"Yeah, okay." He nodded. "Pick you up at 7?"

"Okay."

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Saturday Night…

Mark looked around the room at the group of friends gathered there. "Ok, my turn. Um…Liv…Truth or Dare?"

Liv groaned. She couldn't believe they were actually sitting here playing Truth or Dare, but with a twist, "Truth."

David coughed, saying 'wimp' under his breath, making everyone laugh.

"Oh, really," Liv replied, looking at David. "I noticed **you** have taken any of his dares."

"Okay…okay…" Mark interrupted. "Okay, truth. Have you ever faked _it_?"

"Faked what?" Sara asked innocently. They all looked at her in disbelief, and waited for her to get it. "Oh."

Everyone shook their hands and looked at Liv, waiting for her answer. Liv looked around the room and smiled before taking a shot glass from Mark, and downing it.

"Oh, I think that's a yes," Nick joked.

Liv set the shot glass down on the coffee table, and scanned the room, trying to decide who the next victim would be. "All right, my turn. Uh…let's see…Maggie," she said as her eyes settled on her best friend. "Truth of Dare?"

"Dare," Maggie answered quickly, not even thinking about it.

"Okay," Liv looked around the room for inspiration and thought for a minute. "You have to go down to the street and flash the first guy you see. And it can't be anybody here."

Maggie thought about it for a minute before standing up and taking her bra off under her shirt. The guys hooted and whistled, making the girls laugh. When Maggie started going down the stairs everyone ran to the window to watch. She stood on the sidewalk waiting for someone to walk by, and they watched as an older man started walking past her.

"She's not gonna do it," Mark whispered, as he watched his girlfriend.

At the last minute Maggie stepped in front of the man and lifted up her shirt, then quickly turned around and ran back upstairs. As she entered the apartment they all applauded; and she took a bow before sitting back down.

"Let's see…" Maggie looked around the room and smiled mischievously as her eyes stopped on Ephram. "Ephram…Truth or Dare?"

Ephram thought for a moment before replying, "Dare."

Maggie looked from Ephram to Liv, and back to Ephram again and smiled smugly. "You and Liv have to go into the closet and play Seven Minutes in Heaven."

"What are you, 12?" Liv exclaimed. "And since when do dares include other players?"

Maggie shrugged. "Payback."

"You know the rules…either you do the dare or Ephram has to drink three shots," Mark reminded her.

Having turned down a dare earlier, Ephram really didn't want to have to take another three shots. He glanced at Liv and caught her eyes; he raised an eyebrow and shrugged, silently asking her what she wanted to do. She shrugged back so slightly that he was probably the only one who noticed. Getting up, he walked over to her and held out his hand to help her up. She took his hand, walked over to the closet door, and looked at Maggie.

Maggie looked at her watch, noting the time. "Okay, seven minutes starting now."

Ephram opened the door, and gestured for Liv to enter. He followed, shutting the door behind them. Liv shook her head in disbelief. First Truth or Dare, and then Seven Minutes in Heaven. Why had their friends suddenly decided to revert to a junior high mentality? Liv's eyes skimmed over the contents of the closet, surprised by how empty it was. Then she glanced at Ephram. There was just enough light coming from underneath the door for them to see each other. Ephram's eyes met hers, and suddenly both were very much aware of how awkward the situation was.

"We don't have to do it," Ephram whispered. "We can just stand here, they'll never know." Liv smiled at him and nodded as Ephram looked around the closet as well. "So, how was your day?" he joked, breaking the tension.

Liv laughed and took a step back, losing her balance. Ephram quickly grabbed her arms, straightening her up. As he released her, she gazed into his eyes, and wondered how she had never noticed that they were almost eye level with each other. Ephram returned her gaze and stepped closer to her, before gently kissing her on the lips, and pulling away. Their eyes locked for a moment before leaning in and kissing again.

Ephram gently ran his tongue across her lips, and she opened her mouth for him, allowing him to deepen the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer as their tongues explored the other's mouth. Liv ran her hands up Ephram's arms to his face, and ran her fingers through his hair. And suddenly, it was like someone had flipped a switch and they couldn't get enough of each other.

Liv ran her hands down Ephram's back to his waist, and under his shirt so she touch bare skin, running her hands over his chest, back, and stomach. Ephram ran his hand under her tank top and moved from her mouth to her neck and collarbone. He gently ran a thumb over her breast, making her gasp when he started kneading it. Liv moved the hand that had been resting on his lower back to his stomach, and then moved it lower, gently running her hand over the length of him through his jeans. Ephram gasped and pulled away from her, and Liv took the opportunity to lower her head and kiss his chest. He ran his hands down her sides, slowly pulling her knee-length skirt up as he ran his hands along her legs. Liv moved her hands to his belt buckle, and started to undo it…

Knock! Knock!

They quickly pulled away from each other, fighting to catch their breath. They heard Maggie yell through the door, telling them their time was up. Liv shook her head as if to clear away the fog. Ephram looked at her, not really sure what had just happened. Or what had **almost** happened. He reached down and buckled his belt, while Liv straightened up her skirt and shirt. They both ran their fingers through their hair to straighten it out, before leaving the closet.

With one last glance at each other, both returned to their previous seats. Ephram looked around the room trying to act normal. "My turn, right? Um…Annie…Truth or Dare?"

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After another awkward hour of Truth or Dare, Liv decided to call it a night. Ephram, feeling just as uncomfortable and desperate to leave, offered to walk her home. Lost in their own thoughts the three-block walk felt more like 300. Neither had any idea what had happened. One minute they were talking and laughing like normal, and the next they couldn't keep their hands off each other.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at Liv's apartment building, and walked up to her third floor studio apartment; the door had been unlocked, and the lights turned on. Ephram leaned in the doorway and watched as she dropped her purse on the floor and took off her sandals, unsure of whether he should enter or not. His eyes followed her as she checked the answering machine, realizing that she had avoided looking at him or standing too close to him. It was only then that he realized Liv hadn't linked her arm with his on the walk back to her place like she usually did.

Ephram stepped into the apartment and closed the door behind him. "Liv?" he said questioningly as he walked up behind her. She turned around and their eyes locked on each other's again. Ephram reached out and took her hand. Suddenly, they were in each other's arms again, kissing frantically.

Ephram reached down and picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. He took a few steps forward bumping into the kitchen table and set her down. He ran his hand up and down her leg as he moved from her mouth to her neck. Liv reached down and pulled his shirt over his head, dropping in on the floor and ran her hands over his back and chest, needing to feel skin again.

"Ephram," she moaned as he slid a hand under her shirt. She ran her fingers through his hair, and said his name again. Ephram pulled away from her breathing heavily and met her eyes. Nodding towards the other side of the room, she said one word, "bed."

Ephram glanced over his shoulder at the bed, and then quickly looked back at Liv. "Good idea," he said nodding.

Their mouths met again as he picked her up and made his way across the room towards the bed, bumping into furniture along the way. They tumbled onto the bed, and Ephram ran his hand along her stomach underneath the tank top she wore. Liv pushed him off of her and pulled her shirt over her head and threw it over the side of the bed, before pulling him back down to her. He kissed his way down her neck to her chest, focusing on the skin that was just revealed. Ephram ran his hand down her side and leg, pushing her skirt up again. He lifted her leg and wrapped it around his waist. She felt him harden against her as she ran a hand in between their bodies, and unbuckled his belt, then moved to unbutton and unzip his jeans…

Suddenly, they heard Mozart begin to play. They quickly pulled apart and looked around trying to identify the source of the sound. Ephram realized that it was his cell phone and reached into his pocket to pull it out, looking at the caller ID.

"It's Amy," he said, trying to catch his breath.

Liv looked at him and unwrapped her leg from his waist. "You should answer it."

Without taking his eyes off of hers he hit the talk button. "Hello?…Can you hold on a second?" He lowered the phone and hit the mute button.

Liv climbed out from underneath him and picked up their shirts, handing him his. "You should probably go."

Ephram nodded and took his shirt. "I'll call you tomorrow." He leaned over and quickly kissed her on the lips before leaving the apartment. He walked down the first flight of stairs and stopped on the landing, hitting the button to un-mute the phone.

"Amy…Can I call you back?…No, nothing's wrong." He looked up towards Liv's apartment. "I'll call you back in little bit…bye."

Ephram snapped the phone closed and put it back in his pocket. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Opening his eyes, he held his shirt in his mouth as he re-buckled his belt, and then put his shirt back on. He walked down the rest of the stairs and out onto the street, stopping to look up at the light in Liv's window. He had just taken a step back towards the building when her light turned off. Ephram took another deep breath and stared at the dark window before turning and walking towards his hotel.

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Ephram unlocked the door to his hotel room and tossed his keys on the small table next to the door. Walking over to the kitchenette, he pulled a plate of leftover pizza out of the small refrigerator built into the lower cabinets, and then stopped when he realized the pizza was on a cobalt blue plate. It was Liv's plate.

He put the pizza back in the fridge and sat on the edge of his bed, then laid down and rubbed his eyes. It had been two days since that night and he still hadn't called Liv…or seen her. He had worked double shifts at the music store and avoided thinking about what had happened.

Ephram felt something vibrating in his pocket, and pulled his cell phone out, looking at the caller ID. It was Amy again. He tossed the phone across the bed and waited for it to stop vibrating. He had been avoiding her calls since he had talked to her on Saturday.

When had things gotten so complicated? He had almost slept with his best friend. She understood him better than anyone; probably because they were a lot alike. And he didn't want to ruin that.

Ephram turned his head and focused on the bulletin board next to the door, and the photos that were pinned to it. He's gaze swept over the photos of himself with all of his London friends sitting around a table at the pub they liked, and the ones of all of them at Maggie and Nick's birthday dinners the previous month. His eyes finally settled on a strip of pictures from one of those photo booths. The pictures were of him and Liv taken at the street fair they had all gone to for his birthday a little over a week ago. In the first two pictures they were making faces at the camera and at each other. In the third one they were laughing. But the last one was his favorite; he had his arm around her shoulder, Liv's head was resting on his shoulder, and his head was resting on hers, and they were both smiling.

Ephram got up and took the strip of photos off the bulletin board, and sat at the small kitchen table. Liv was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen…And he had to admit that he had wondered what it would be like if they were together. But the more he thought about it the more he realized that he wasn't ready for another relationship. Especially after everything that had happened with Madison and Amy. Ephram sighed and pinned the pictures to the board again. What he really needed was a friend…

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Tuesday Afternoon…

Ephram entered the coffeehouse and looked around for Liv. Seeing her with a customer, he sat at the counter to wait for her.

Liv turned and walked towards the counter, surprised to see Ephram sitting there. "Hey," she greeted as she stood in front of him.

"Hey," Ephram replied, and then waited for Liv to finish pouring him a cup of coffee before continuing. "What happened the other night? One minute we were fine, then we couldn't keep our hands off each other?"

Liv shook her head, not really sure what happened either. "It's all Maggie's fault…and that stupid game." Ephram laughed, and she looked at him and smiled. "Although, I guess it really isn't, is it?" She glanced down at her hands resting on the counter. "I mean…I've…I've thought about it. Haven't you?" she asked returning her eyes to his.

"Yeah," he whispered as he reached over and took her hands in his. "I'm not ready, Liv. I don't…I don't think I'm ready for a serious relationship yet, and…"

"…And with us, it would be serious," she finished.

"Yeah," Ephram agreed. "You're my best friend; the best one I ever had. Can…can we just be that for now?"

Liv nodded. "I think I can live with that."

"Good." He smiled and squeezed her hands before releasing them. "So…I was thinking…maybe we could have a movie night tonight. Rent some movies, order a pizza…we haven't done that in a while."

Liv smiled, too. "Sounds perfect."

"Yeah? Ok…you get the movies, I'll get the pizza and we'll meet back at your place after my class. Around six?"

"Sounds good. What time is your class?"

Ephram looked down at his watch, surprised by the time. "Oh, crap. I gotta go," he said as he pulled a few pounds out of his wallet for the coffee. Then he got up and headed for the door. "What do you want on the pizza?"

Liv shrugged. "Surprise me."

Ephram nodded and left the coffeehouse.

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"I think I did something stupid," Ephram said to Bright as he walked to the pizza place after his class.

"What?"

"I almost slept with Olivia. Twice," Ephram answered.

"Almost?" Bright asked. "How do you almost sleep with someone?"

Ephram sighed. "We were playing Truth or Dare with some friends and they dared us to play Seven Minutes in Heaven…and I don't know…it was like someone hit a switch and suddenly we couldn't keep our hands off each other."

"So, what happened?"

"Our time was up. Then we went back to her place and it almost happened again."

"What stopped you the second time?"

"Amy called," he answered.

Bright laughed. "Okay…next time turn your cell phone off."

Ephram sighed again. "Bright…I can't sleep with her."

"Why not? Dude, I'm seen her picture. She's hot!"

"Yes, she is," Ephram agreed. "She's also my best friend…and we're having a movie night tonight.

Bright took a deep breath. "Ephram…look, man…if it's meant to be it'll happen. If not, then you've got nothing to worry about."

Ephram was quiet for a minute. "What about Amy?" he finally asked quietly.

"What about Amy?" Bright exclaimed. "You broke up with her, remember? You have every right to meet someone."

"Yeah, but…" Ephram paused. "You don't hear her, Bright. It doesn't matter how many ways I say it, she still thinks that I'm going to get over this running away thing, come back, and we'll be the happy little couple again. I've already broken her heart. I really don't want to keep doing it."

"Do you want to get back together with Amy?"

"No…I'm not…I don't love her like that."

"Could you love Olivia like that? **Do** you love her like that?" Bright asked.

"I…I don't know."

"Well, don't you think you owe it to yourself to find out?"

Ephram laughed. "When did you get so smart?"

"I've been hanging out with Hannah a lot," Bright explained.

"That explains it." Ephram looked up, realizing he was at the pizza place. "I gotta go."

"Call me later. I wanna know how movie night goes."

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Olivia sat on her bed against the headboard, watching Ephram more than the movie. She had changed from her uniform into sweats and a tank top, and Ephram arrived shortly after she did with the pizza, which they had already eaten. Ephram had just put in the second move, and was lying next to Liv on his stomach, with his head by her feet.

Ephram glanced at Liv over his shoulder, and quickly turned back around as he noticed her gaze begin to shift. After a few minutes of refraining from looking at her again, he slowly turned to look at her again. Their eyes met, and held on each other for a few moments. Without breaking eye contact he pushed himself up on his knees, and slowly started moving across the bed towards her. Liv reached for the remote and turned the TV off just as Ephram reached her.

Ephram hovered over Liv for a few moments, before leaning down and gently kissing her. Liv rested her hands on Ephram's waist, and slid down the bed, lying down. She deepened the kiss and Ephram moved on top of her, tangling their legs together. She reached down and pulled his shirt over his head, and tossing it on the floor. Ephram reached down and pulled her shirt off, too, surprised to see that she wasn't wearing a bra. His lips quickly skimmed over the skin that was just exposed, finding a sensitive spot between her breasts. Liv gasped and dug her nails into his back…

Once again they were interrupted by the sound of Mozart from the nightstand where Ephram had set his cell phone earlier. He reached for it and looked at the caller ID, seeing it was Amy. He looked down at Liv, who was still underneath him, then hit the button to turn the ringer off and tossed it back on the nightstand. Liv smiled, and he leaned down to kiss her again.

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The next morning…

Ephram stirred and slowly woke up. He looked down at Liv's head on his chest, and gently ran his hand along her back, smiling. Feeling his hand move, Liv woke up as well, and turned her head to look at him.

"Morning," she replied, taking her hand out of his, and tracing little circles on his chest. Ephram turned to lie on his side, facing her and wrapped his arms around her waist, lacing his fingers together. "So, I think it might be safe to say that we just got serious," Liv said, placing a light kiss on his lips.

Ephram laughed. "Yeah…Do you have to work today?"

Liv shook her head. "Nope, what about you?"

Ephram shook his head, too. "Class?"

"Nope. You?"

"Nope. So…" He ran his hands along her back. "What do you want to do today?"

"Oh, I don't know…but I'm sure we can think of something." Liv kissed his chest and made her way up to his mouth. Ephram wrapped his arms around her waist again and rolled them over.

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The next time Ephram woke up he was alone. He looked at the clock, surprised to see that it was 1:00 p.m. As he reached down to pick up his boxers he heard the shower running. As he put his boxers on the blinking message light on his cell phone caught his attention. Shocked to discover that he had five new messages he checked the missed calls list while searching the kitchen for something to eat. He groaned when he saw Amy's number three times, as well as one call from Bright, and another from Hannah. Looking at the phone for a minute he debated whether or not he should actually listen to the messages, before deciding to do it.

Message 1 – from Amy: "Hi, it's me. Just calling to check in. Haven't heard from you in a couple of days. Call me back. Bye."

Message 2 – from Bright: "Dude, just calling to see how movie night went. I want all the details."

Message 3 – from Amy: "Hi, it's me again. Just checking in. Call me back…I miss you."

Message 4 – from Hannah: "Hey, it's Hannah. Would you please call Amy? She's driving me nuts! Talk to you later. Bye."

Message 5 – from Amy: "Okay, is something wrong? You haven't returned my calls in days. Are you mad at me? Please call me back."

Ephram sighed and leaned against the kitchen counter. He hadn't talked to Amy since Saturday night, and she had called him many times since. He didn't know what he could possibly say to her, when he couldn't stop thinking about Liv. Ephram looked up when he heard the bathroom door open, and saw Liv standing in the doorway wearing a short, fuzzy, pale blue robe; her hair still wet. He set the phone down on the counter, walked over to her, and rested his hands on her hips.

"Anything important?" she asked.

Ephram looked at her confused. "Huh?"

"Your messages? Anything important?"

Ephram leaned over and kissed her. "Not really." He leaned over and kissed her again, and walked her backwards toward the bed. Reaching it, Liv fell backward with Ephram on top of her.

"You do realize that we will have to leave this bed eventually, right?" she asked when Ephram moved to her neck.

Ephram groaned and raised himself above her. "Do we really have to? Can't we just stay here forever?"

Liv reached up and pushed his hair out of his eyes before answering. "I would love to, but I have to go to work eventually so I can pay to stay here."

He groaned again, and buried his face in her neck. "Can we stay here for the rest of the day?" he asked raising his head again.

Liv smiled and put her hands on the back of his neck, pulling him back down to her.

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Once again they were lying in bed. Liv was resting her head on Ephram's chest, listening to his heartbeat. She shifted her head and looked towards the kitchen, and saw the light on his cell phone blinking again. "Wow, you're popular today."

Ephram looked over at his cell phone and groaned. "Lucky me. You know on any other day my cell phone wouldn't ring that much. Of course, the only person I'm interested in talking to is in this bed with me."

Liv smiled. "Me, too."

"And just thin, if I had gone into another coffeehouse two months ago we never would've met," Ephram added, running his fingers through her hair.

Liv smiled and moved up so that she could kiss him. Ephram wrapped his arms around her waist, and rolled onto his side so that they were facing each other and continued kissing.

Liv's stomach growled and she pulled away from him, laughing. "Okay, we need to eat something."

Ephram agreed and they got out of bed and grabbed clothes off the floor. Ephram put on his boxers, while Liv put on his t-shirt, and walked into the kitchen and started opening cabinets, looking for something to eat. Ephram grabbed his cell phone, and was surprised to discover that he had three new messages. Instead of listening to the messages, he checked the missed calls list: one from his dad and two more from Amy.

"Amy has called five times since last night!" Ephram exclaimed.

Liv stopped what she was doing and turned to face him. "Bloody hell…why does she keep calling?'

Ephram sighed. "Probably because I've been avoiding her calls since I talked to her on Saturday."

"You have?"

Ephram shrugged. "I didn't know what to say to her." He sat down on one of the kitchen chairs and started picking at the edge of the table. "All I could think about was you. When I left Saturday night I stood on the street and watched your light turn off, and…" He looked up and was surprised to see her standing directly in front of him. He raised his hands and rested them on her hips. "All I wanted to do was come back up here, finish what we started, and never leave."

Liv looked down at him and thought back to what he had said in the coffeehouse yesterday…about not wanting a relationship…about just wanted to be friends… "Then why…"

Ephram shook his head. "Because I was scared. We've only known each other for two months, and I can't imagine my life without you." He tightened his arms around her waist, and rested his head against her stomach. She raised her hand and gently ran her fingers through his hair. "I love you," he whispered against her stomach, before pulling back and raising his eyes to hers. "And that scares the hell out of me."

"I love you, too," Liv whispered after of moment of silence. "You should call Amy."

"I don't want to talk to her," Ephram said shaking his head. "I don't know what to say to her."

"Call her back and check in," she explained. "Maybe she'll leave you along for a few days until you do figure out what to say to her."

Liv took a step back and Ephram released her and picked up his phone. Taking a deep breath he dialed Amy's number, while Liv went into the bathroom to give him some privacy. When she came out five minutes late he was staring at his phone.

"So?" she asked.

"She thought I would be coming back for school," he replied before glancing up at her. "You know what I just realized? I don't think of Everwood or New York as home anymore…I think of London as home."

Liv walked back over to him and sat down on his lap. Ephram placed a quick kiss on her shoulder, and sat and thought for a few minutes. "Get dressed."

"Huh?"

"Get dressed. Let's go out to eat," he explained.

Liv looked at him questioningly. "Like on a date?"

"Yeah." Ephram smiled. "Like on a date. We kind of skipped dating. We went straight from being friends to sleeping together. So, let's get dressed and go out to dinner."

"Okay." She stood up and walked over to her closet. "We should probably stop by your hotel so you can change clothes."

"Sounds good."

Liv finished getting dressed, and handed Ephram his t-shirt. He put on his shirt and jeans, and then looked around for his shoes. After finding them, they left the apartment and walked out onto the street. Ephram reached out and took Liv's hand, lacing their fingers together as they walked towards his hotel.

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October…

"We're going to be late!" Liv yelled from the bathroom. "Annie's going to kill us."

"We'll be fine," Ephram yelled back. He finished buttoning his shirt, looked in the mirror, and shook his head. He couldn't even remember the last time he had worn a suit.

They were on their way to a concert for the school's string quartet, for which Annie played the violin. And if they hadn't gotten…distracted…in the shower, then they wouldn't be running late. Unfortunately, they got distracted fairly easily, and after two months together that really hadn't changed.

"Have you seen my tie?" Ephram yelled.

"What?" Liv opened the bathroom door and stepped out.

Ephram looked over at her, stunned, trying to remember what he had asked her…or his name… She looked amazing in a simple sleeveless, black knee-length dress. Her hair was pulled up with a few curls floating around her face, and the only piece of jewelry she wore was a simple silver necklace with a sapphire pendant that he had gotten her for their one-month anniversary. He reached up to unbutton his top button, trying to breathe again. What had he asked her about?

"Where's your tie?" Liv asked after looking him over.

Tie? Oh, right. "Have you seen it?" he asked, finally regaining his voice.

Liv shook her head in frustration and walked over to the bed and began looking for it. "Did you bring it with you?" she asked as she moved the covers around.

"I think so," he replied from the floor where he was looking under the bed. Ephram got up, walked over to the dresser, and started opening drawers.

"This is ridiculous," Liv exclaimed sounding frustrated as she shook out the bed covers. "Half you stuff is here, and half is at your hotel."

Ephram shut the dresser drawer and turned to look at Liv. At the same time, Liv dropped the bed covers and looked towards him Their eyes locked and they took a step closer to each other as the same thought occurred to them.

"It **would** be easier if all my stuff was in one place," Ephram said as he took another step closer to her.

"True," Liv agreed, taking another step. "And I can't even remember the last time you slept at your place."

Ephram reached out and rested his hands on her hips. "So…"

"So…" Liv gently ran her hands up and down his arms. "Maybe you should…just move in here." She stopped rubbing his arms and met his eyes. "I mean, you're here all the time anyway," she finished.

Ephram smiled and thought about it for a moment. "It does seem silly to pay for a place where I'm not even living," he agreed.

"It does," she said, nodding. "Maybe we could even find a bigger place…" She looked down and noticed Ephram's tie on the floor. She moved out of his arms and bent to pick it up. Placing the tie around his neck and tying it, Liv quickly kissed him. "We're going to be late."

Ephram smiled and kissed her again before straightening his tie.

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November…

Ring! Ring!

Liv felt Ephram's arm tighten around her waist as she looked at the clock. Who would be calling at this hour?

"Hello?" she said sleepily after picking up the phone.

"Olivia?" asked an unfamiliar voice.

"Yeah?"

"This is Bright Abbott. Is Ephram there?"

"Yeah, just a second." She set the phone down and rubbed Ephram's arm. "Ephram? Love?"

"Hmmm…" Ephram moaned.

"Phone. It's Bright."

Ephram opened his eyes and looked at the clock before reaching over her and picking up the phone. "Bright, it's three o'clock in the morning."

"My mom died," Bright blurted out.

"What?" Ephram sat up, fully awake. "When?"

"This morning. The funeral's Thursday."

"I'll be there."

"Thanks, man."

"I'll call you when I book a flight. And Bright…I'm sorry." He hung up the phone.

"Bright's mom?" Liv asked.

"Yeah." Ephram got out of bed and walked into the kitchen, and over to the laptop sitting on the kitchen table. "The funeral is on Thursday."

Liv got out of bed and followed him. Ephram sat at the computer and began searching for plane tickets. She stood behind him and started rubbing his shoulders. "Do you want me to come with you?" she asked, knowing how hard it would be for him to go back to Everwood.

Ephram leaned back and reached up to take one of her hands. "Yes," he finally answered, "but you probably shouldn't. I probably shouldn't bring my current girlfriend to my ex-girlfriend's mother's funeral." He turned his head to smile at her. "Besides, I'll only be gone for a few days."

000000000

Ephram stood in the corner and looked around at all the people in the Abbott's living room, feeling very out of place. Bright was sitting on the couch with Hannah, holding her hand. They had been dating for three months, but Ephram was still surprised to see the evidence of it. Amy was rushing around the room, playing hostess; making sure no one's plate or glass was ever empty. Dr. Abbott was sitting in a chair near Bright and Hannah staring into space. He hadn't said a word all day. Ephram knew his dad and Delia were around somewhere, but he hadn't seen either one since the funeral.

Ephram sighed as he set his glass down and glanced around the room again before slipping out the front door. The only one to see him leave was Amy. Taking his cell phone out of his pocket he checked the time in London, and sat down on the top step. Then hit one of the speed dial buttons, calling home. He smiled when he heard Liv's voice, as she answered the phone.

"Hey."

"Hi. So, how's it going?" Liv asked quietly.

"Strange," he answered. "I've been gone for almost six months, and I don't think anything's really changed…except for me." He paused and shook his head even though she couldn't see him. "This isn't home anymore…I'm going to tell my dad everything. Delia, too. I was thinking maybe she could come visit us sometime."

"Sure," Liv replied. "We even have someplace for her to sleep now." They had officially moved in together two weeks earlier, and had even found a bigger apartment in the same neighborhood. "I miss you," she whispered.

"I miss you, too," Ephram replied. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"I should probably get back inside. I'll call you later, okay? Bye." Ephram hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket as he stood up. When he turned around he saw Amy standing by the front door, and wondered how long she had been there. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, and turned to go back into the house. Apparently, she had been there long enough.

0000000000000

Later that night…

Ephram closed the front door behind him and looked around the neighborhood that had been his home for almost three years. He had hoped that his father would be understanding, and even happy for him. Of course, he wasn't. After yelling at each other for 15 minutes, Ephram had had enough and left. He didn't live there anymore and he didn't have to stay.

Pulling his coat closed, he looked around for a moment debating what to do before walking towards the park that was a few blocks away. As he approached the swings he discovered that someone had beaten him there. When he realized it was Amy he almost turned around and went back to his father's house, but then he heard her speak.

"Who is she?" Amy asked quietly…sadly.

Well, that answered the question of whether or not she had overheard his conversation with Liv. Ephram sighed and sat down in the empty swing next to Amy, collecting his thoughts. Today was the last day he wanted to have this conversation with her. The day of her mother's funeral was not the day he wanted to tell Amy that he had fallen in love with someone else…

"Her name's Olivia," he finally answered, and then proceeded to tell her the basics of their relationship: how and when they met, when they started dating, and what Liv was like. He left out the game of Truth or Dare, what she had interrupted, and the fact that they were living together. When he finished he glanced over at Amy for the first time, and noticed the tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about her, but…I didn't know how. Every time we talked you asked when I was coming home." He stopped and shrugged. "I didn't know how to tell you that I was already home."

Amy was quiet for a few minutes before asking if he had a picture of her. For some reason she desperately needed to see what his girlfriend looked like. As if that would make her more real.

Actually, he had three pictures of her in his wallet, Ephram thought. Taking a deep breath, he stood and pulled out his wallet. After opening it to a picture of Liv by herself, he handed it to Amy.

Amy looked at the picture in disbelief. Until that moment she had hoped that she had imagined both conversation with Ephram, but now the evidence was right in front of her. She flipped the picture over and stared at the next two pictures, and felt the tears that were threatening to fall. Both were of Ephram…and his girlfriend, and he looked happier than she had ever seen him. In the first one they were sitting next to each other. Ephram had his arm around her and appeared to be whispering something in her ear. Both were smiling and didn't seem to be aware that someone was taking their picture. In the second picture they were standing in a living room. Ephram was standing behind his girlfriend with his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. Her hands were resting on his and they were both smiling at the camera. She closed the wallet and handed it back to him as she wiped the tears away from her eyes.

"I'm not coming back, Amy," Ephram stated as he put his wallet back in his pocket. "London is my home now," He sat back down on the swing and was silent for a few minutes. "She's my forever," he whispered, smiling to himself. Ephram stood up and looked at Amy. "I'm sorry," he whispered before walking away from Amy and his old life. It was time to return to his new life.

0000000000000

Heathrow Airport, London…

Ephram left customs and searched the airport for Liv. She had insisted on meeting him at the airport, even though they would have to take the train home.

"Ephram!"

He looked to his right and saw Liv running towards him. He dropped his bags and swept her up into a big hug, spinning her around. Setting her down, he leaned in to kiss her.

"Hi,"

"Hey, how was your flight?"

Ephram met her eyes and smiled. "Great." He reached down and picked up one of his bags, while she grabbed the other one. "Come on, let's go home." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, and then kissed her on the forehead as they left the airport.


	2. Part 2

Author's Note: Thanks to all who reviewed! I'm glad you liked it. I hadn't really intended to continue the story. It was really just supposed to be a one-shot, but I was inspired. Hope you enjoy!

Shoequeeny: Yes, it was kind of harsh to tell Amy about Olivia after her mother's funeral, but I couldn't think of another reason for Ephram to go back to Everwood. I didn't think that he would just go back for a visit.

oooooooooooooooooo

Part 2

May…

Ephram unlocked the apartment door and set his bag down wearily. Between work and studying for finals he was exhausted; so was Olivia. They had barely even seen each other in a week; and when they did see each other they were too tired to do anything but sleep.

"Liv?" Ephram called as he looked around the apartment, not really expecting her to be there. Walking across the room he noticed the note on the refrigerator. There had been a lot of notes the past few days. One more week and things would go back to normal…he hoped.

"At the studio. Be back late. Dinner's in the fridge. L."

Ephram smiled as he read the note. Liv had spent the majority of the past week at the school's recording studio. As part of one of her finals she had to record a CD, and he knew that she was really worried about it. Out of curiosity he opened the refrigerator door and pulled out the container with a post-it note on it.

"Microwave – 2 minutes."

Ephram laughed, surprised that she had taken the time to make him dinner. Of course, Liv knew he was hopeless in the kitchen and was probably afraid he would burn the apartment down. Still he loved that she wanted to take care of him, and he loved taking care of her.

Who was he kidding? He loved her. He couldn't imagine his life without her. Suddenly, he realized that he hadn't actually seen his girlfriend awake in three days; and decided that it was time to change that. Smiling, he put his dinner back in the fridge and walked towards the door. He picked up his bag and left the apartment, heading back to school.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Ephram arrived at the school and entered the control booth of the recording studio. Nick was sitting at the soundboard, watching Olivia in the studio.

"Hey, Nick," Ephram greeted him as he sat in one of the chairs. "How's she doing?"

"Amazing...as always." Nick adjusted a few knobs as she finished a song, then turned on the intercom to talk to her. "That was great, Liv. Come and listen. By the way…you've got a fan," he teased.

Ephram leaned over and talked into the microphone. "Hey, babe."

Liv lit up when she heard his voice. "Hey! What are you doing here?"

"Moral support," he answered. "You sounded great; come listen."

Liv nodded, took off her headphones, and entered the control room. She walked over to Ephram and kissed him 'hello'. Noticing that there were only two chairs in the room and Nick was already sitting in one, Ephram sat down in the other chair and pulled Liv down into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist, as she rested her hands on his.

Nick pressed the 'play' button, and they sat back and listened.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Two nights later it was Ephram's turn to have a late night. Liv had finished her CD the other night, so she had actually gotten home fairly early. However, Ephram had met with his study group for his music history class, and they had studied until two o'clock in the morning.

Ephram quietly entered the apartment and made his way to the bedroom. Looking over at the bed, he wasn't surprised that Liv was already asleep. He walked over to his dresser and began changing into pajama pants and a t-shirt, trying not to wake her up.

Managing to change without waking Liv up, he turned and opened his sock drawer, digging up a pair of socks from the bottom. Looking over his shoulder to make sure Liv was still asleep he unrolled the socks and pulled out a small jewelry box. He opened the box and looked at the simple diamond and platinum ring he had bought two weeks earlier.

Ephram had been waiting for the perfect moment to ask her, but so far it hadn't presented itself. He had already decided to wait until finals were over. However, they were supposed to go to Colorado in a few weeks so Liv could meet his dad and Delia, and he wanted to ask her before then.

When he had bought the ring, he had made the mistake of telling Bright; who had expressed his concerns that they were moving too fast. They hadn't even known each other for a year, and they were already living together. Ephram knew that they had moved kind of fast, but for them it had worked, and he had no doubt that she would say yes.

Ephram glanced at her over his shoulder again before wrapping the box in his socks again. Then he buried the socks in the bottom of the drawer, and walked over to the bed. Turning off the lamp, he climbed into bed and wrapped an arm around Liv's waist. Liv sighed and snuggled closer to him, and he placed a light kiss on the back of her neck.

The last thing he had expected to find when he came to London was Olivia. He still couldn't believe how lucky he was, especially considering everything that had happened the year before. A year ago he had only just broken up with Amy, and now he was in another country, living with someone he had known for less than a year, and he was trying to figure out how to ask Liv to marry him. And in two weeks Liv was going to meet his father. Ephram just hoped that his father didn't scare her off…

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A few days later…

Ephram set down his bag and leaned against a tree as he waited for Olivia. She was supposed to find out her grade on the CD she had recorded. This was the last final for either of them, and they were both looking forward to finally being able to relax. He still hadn't found the right time to ask Liv to marry him, however he had taken to carrying the ring in his pocket…just in case.

Liv exited the building and scanned the courtyard for Ephram, seeing him standing next to a tree. She ran towards him, and threw herself at him. Surprised, he caught her, and spun her around before setting her back on the ground.

"I'm guessing that greeting means you did well?" he asked, laughing.

Liv stepped back and reached into her bag, pulled out the CD, then held it up for Ephram to see. His smile grew as he read the comments and took in the 'A' in red ink at the bottom. Leaning down, he wrapped his arms around her waist, picked her up, and spun her around again, before turning his head so he could kiss her.

"We should celebrate!" he said enthusiastically. "What do you want to do?"

She thought about it for moment, scrunching up her nose like she always did when she was thinking. "You know what I really want to do?" she finally asked. Ephram shook his head and waited for her to finish. "I just want to go home…rent some movies…maybe order Chinese…and just spend some time together for a change."

Ephram smiled and picked up his bag before wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "That sounds perfect."

oooooooooooooooooooooo

Later that evening…

The Chinese food had been eaten, and one movie had already been watched. Once the second movie had started they found themselves in the same situation as they had been that movie night the previous summer. The movie night that had changed their relationship forever.

They were lying on their bed watching the movie. Liv was on her back with Ephram on his side, his arm across her waist. Like that previous movie night, Ephram had spent more time watching Liv than watching the movie. Suddenly, it hit him…this was the perfect time.

"I love you, Liv," he whispered in her ear.

Liv turned her head and gazed into his eyes for a moment. "I love you, too," she whispered back.

Ephram took a deep breath and moved his hand to his pocket. He pulled out the ring, and looked into her eyes again. "Will you marry me?" he asked as he held up the ring for her to see.

Liv bit her lip and smiled as she turned in his arms to face him. She reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes, and whispered yes. Ephram slipped the ring on her finger, and kissed her, pulling her closer. Reaching behind her, Liv grabbed the remote control and turned off the TV. Then, she slowly rolled onto her back, pulling Ephram on top of her.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Liv listened to Ephram breathing, smiling and feeling happier than she had felt in her entire life. She held her hand in front of her and examined her engagement ring. She couldn't believe it; they were engaged, they were getting married.

Closing her eyes she rested her hand on top of Ephram's, which was resting on her stomach, and laced their fingers together. Ephram sighed and tightened his grip on her hand, as they both fell asleep.


	3. Part 3

Author's Note: By the way, I completely made up the music conservatory that Ephram and Olivia attend. I'm sure that there is one in London, but I made this one up. Thanks again to all who reviewed!

Part 3

Two weeks later Ephram and Olivia found themselves on a plane to Colorado. In the two weeks they had been engaged they had surprisingly pretty much planned the wedding. Deciding **where** to get married had actually determined when, and after that everything fell into place.

They were getting married in a small church just outside of Bath, near where Liv's parents lived. However, the church was only available the last weekend in August, or they would have to wait until the next summer. So, they were getting married in August. Liv's parents had volunteered their house for the reception, and Liv had even found a wedding dress.

They both knew that some people would say that everything was happening too fast, but they figured they had done everything else fast, so why not this. Of course, Ephram and Liv didn't really feel like they were moving too fast. And despite what anyone else said, they knew they were doing what was right for them.

Ephram was a little concerned about his father's reaction to the engagement. He knew he wouldn't take it as well as Liv's parents did. Liv's parents had actually been very happy for them. So had their friends. His father however…Ephram had no idea what his father's reaction would be. He looked over at Liv in the seat next to him, and watched as she jotted down some notes on some sheet music, and realized he really didn't care what his father thought. Ephram **hoped** his father liked Liv and was happy for them, but he was going to marry Liv no matter what.

Liv glanced up when she felt Ephram's eyes on her. "What?" she asked, smiling.

Ephram shook his head and looked back down at the magazine in his lap. "Nothing," he answered. After a few minutes his gaze wandered back to Liv.

"What!" she exclaimed when she felt his eyes on her again.

Ephram shook his head again and shrugged. "Nothing," he replied, and then was quiet for a few moments. "I love you," he finally said as he reached over and took her hand.

"I love you, too," Liv replied, squeezing his hand a little.

"I…I just…no matter what my father says or does we **are** getting married in August," Ephram explained. "I just needed you to know that."

Liv smiled and leaned over to kiss him. That may have been the sweetest thing that he had ever said to her. No matter how many times he said it, she knew his father's opinion meant more to him than he would ever admit. Maybe more than he even realized.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are beginning our descent, and will be landing in Denver shortly…" the pilot's voice came over the intercom, breaking the moment.

Ephram took a deep breath and put his magazine in his backpack as Liv put her sheet music away.

"Here we go," Ephram said quietly.

"How bad can it be?" Liv whispered. "So what if he hates me, and he thinks we're making a big mistake? It's our life, not his. Besides, we live on another continent, near my parents who love you and couldn't be happier for us. How often are we really going to see him anyway?"

Ephram laughed. "Good point."

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Ephram grabbed their last bag off the baggage carousel and glanced around baggage claim looking for his dad and not seeing him.

"Ephram!"

Ephram looked around again, surprised to hear Bright's voice instead of his father's. He turned around to see Bright coming towards them. Ephram held out his hand to Bright, and Bright pulled him into a quick hug before taking a step back.

Liv nudged Ephram and cleared her throat. Ephram took the hint and introduced her to Bright. "Bright Abbott, this is Olivia Perry. My fiancé," he said proudly.

"Olivia, nice to meet you in person." Bright smiled and held out his hand to her.

"It's nice to meet you, too," she answered as she shook his hand. "Call me Liv, most everybody else does."

Bright nodded and gestured towards their bags. "This everything?"

Both nodded and they all grabbed a bag and headed for the exit.

"Why are you picking us up?" Ephram finally asked. "I was expecting Dad."

"Your dad called me. My dad and your dad had some sort of emergency. So, here I am." Then Bright lowered his voice and looked at Ephram. "Amy came with me. I told her that Olivia was with you and that you were engaged, but…I don't think she's going to believe it until she sees it."

Ephram nodded and took a deep breath. "Where is she?"

"Guarding the car. I'm not exactly in a parking space."

Ephram reached over and wrapped his arm around Liv's waist as he whispered what Bright had just told him in her ear. Liv took a couple of deep breaths in preparation for meeting the girl Ephram had left behind. She had known she would meet Amy eventually, but she had hoped to have a little more time.

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Amy looked around nervously as she leaned against the passenger door of Bright's car, desperately trying to figure out why coming with Bright to the airport had seemed like a good idea. Knowing Ephram was engaged was one thing, but meeting her and seeing them together was something else entirely. She turned and reached back into the car for her sunglasses, and then turned back around. There they were…

It was amazing how little Ephram had changed…physically at least. His hair was shorter, but that seemed to be it. He had his arm around a young woman's waist. This must be Olivia. The picture she had seen last fall didn't do her justice. Olivia was…stunning; her long black hair was pulled into a braid, and was wearing a pale blue sleeveless shirt, and long flowing black skirt. She was slender…but not skinny, and almost the same height as Ephram. As they approached Amy, she noticed Olivia's eyes; they were such a pale blue they were almost colorless.

"Hi," Ephram said when they arrived at the car. Bright took the bags and started putting them in the trunk.

"Hello," Amy replied.

"Olivia Perry, this is Amy Abbott," Ephram introduced them.

Olivia held her hand out to Amy. "It's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

Amy nodded and got back in the car without shaking Liv's hand.

Olivia lowered her hand and glanced at Ephram, who looked at Amy in the car. She was looking away from them, so Ephram stepped closer to Liv and kissed her quickly before opening the back door for her. Liv rummaged in her purse for her sunglasses, and as she put them on, Amy saw her engagement ring for the first time in the mirror. Amy felt tears sting her eyes as she looked out the window. Ephram and Bright got into the car and they headed towards Everwood.

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The drive to Everwood was long and mostly silent. After a few failed attempts at starting a conversation Bright eventually gave up. Bringing Amy with him to the airport had been a mistake, but he hadn't had time to argue with her before leaving.

Ephram spent most of the trip mentally composing his "we're getting married" speech, and dreading every mile marker that brought them closer to Everwood. While Liv spent part of the drive talking to her parent's on Ephram's cell phone. She had called to let them know they had arrived, and made the mistake of asking her mother if the florist had called back.

"No, Mom, I want lilies…Mom…Mom…can we talk about it when Ephram and I get home?…Is Daddy home?" She looked at Ephram and rolled her eyes. "Kill me now," she whispered to him before returning her attention to the phone. "Daddy, make her stop…I…I don't know…hold on…"

Liv covered the phone and turned to Ephram. "Did you mail the deposit check?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered, nodding. "I mailed it before we left."

Liv spoke into the phone again. "He mailed it before we left…I'll call you later, okay?…I love you, too, Daddy. Bye." Liv hung up the phone and handed it back to Ephram. "Why didn't we elope?" she asked him quietly, only half joking.

Ephram leaned over, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and kissed her on the forehead. "If you really want to elope, we'll hop on a plane to Vegas, and get married. Whatever you want, baby," he answered quietly.

Liv sighed and leaned into Ephram closing her eyes. Ephram rested his head on hers and began mentally composing his speech again. Meanwhile Amy, who had heard the whispered conversation, looked out the window, attempting to hide the tears that were threatening to fall.

00000000000000000

Bright pulled into the Brown's driveway, and Andy quickly came out of the house to greet them. Ephram got out of the car and looked at his father for the first time since the previous fall. Then he turned around and offered Liv his hand to help her out of the car.

"Hi, Dad," Ephram started.

Andy surprised Ephram by pulling him into a hug. After he released his son he looked over at Olivia. So this was the girl he stayed in England for.

"You must be Olivia…it's nice to meet you," Andy said.

"It's nice to meet you, too," she replied.

Bright finished unloading the car and spoke to Ephram for a few minutes before leaving. Liv didn't miss the fact that Amy hadn't gotten out of the car, or said a word since leaving the airport.

Andy and Ephram picked up the bags and they entered the house.

"Where's Delia?" Ephram asked, surprised that she hadn't come out to greet them.

"Brittany's parents invited her to go camping with them for the weekend. She'll be home tomorrow," Andy explained. "So, I was thinking Olivia could stay in the guest room," he said as they started up the stairs.

Ephram stopped and looked at his dad. "Dad, we live together. We're going to sleep in the same room."

"Ephram, I would feel more comfortable-"

"We're getting married," he blurted out interrupting him. So much for the speech. Liv groaned and walked back down the stairs as Ephram followed.

"What?" Andy asked. He couldn't have heard him right.

"We're engaged," Ephram said quietly. "We're getting married."

Andy set down the bags he was holding and walked into the living room. "When?" he asked as he sat in a chair.

Ephram and Liv followed him and sat on the couch. "At the end of August. We wanted to tell you in person, not over the phone."

Andy sat in silence for a few minutes. He felt like he should have seen this coming.

"Dad?"

Andy stood up and headed for the door. Ephram looked at Liv and raised his eyebrows questioning her. She shrugged in response. "Where are you going?" Ephram asked as he followed his father.

"For a walk," Andy replied as he slammed the door.

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"So, you want to talk about it?"

Andy looked up from his coffee and at Nina across the table. "Ephram's getting married," he finally said.

"What?" Nina exclaimed.

"Yeah. I was telling them that I would feel better if Olivia slept in the guest room, and Ephram responded by telling me they're getting married," Andy explained.

Nina got up and refilled her coffee cup and sat back down, thinking. "Explain to me why that's a bad thing," she said after a few minutes of silence.

"Well, they're only 19 for one thing."

"Yeah." Nina nodded. "But they've lived together for what…eight months? They have jobs, they go to school…"

"He's making a mistake!" Andy yelled.

"You don't know that," she replied calmly. "They just got here. Have you spent any time with them? Have you talked to him?"

Andy stared at his coffee cup again, trying not to listen to her.

Nina sighed and reached across the table taking away the coffee mug. "You've spent over an hour staring at that cup of coffee, and you haven't taken a drink. Go home and talk to your son."

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Andy entered the silent house, briefly wondering if they had left when he noticed Olivia's purse on the coat rack. He slowly climbed the stairs and stopped in Ephram's doorway. Ephram and Olivia were lying on the bed fast asleep. Andy looked at his watch in confusion. Why were they asleep now? It was just about dinnertime…but it was the middle of the night in England….

Andy leaned in the doorway and watched them for a moment. They were both lying on their side with Ephram's chest against her back. His arm was across her waist and their fingers were laced together. Andy walked over to them and tapped Ephram on the shoulder.

Ephram stirred and woke up, surprised to see his father standing over them.

"We need to talk," Andy whispered.

Ephram nodded and slowly moved away from Liv, trying not to wake her. Then they went downstairs and sat at the kitchen table.

"I'm sorry I just blurted it out like that. I had this whole speech prepared, but…" Ephram started.

"I probably could've reacted better," Andy finished.

"You think we're making a mistake?" Ephram asked quietly, already knowing the answer.

"I'm concerned…that…that you might be moving too fast," Andy answered. "She's the first girl you met after breaking up with Amy. And after everything that happened with Madison…"

"So, you think what? That Liv is a rebound?"

Andy nodded slowly. "The thought had crossed my mind."

"I love her," Ephram replied matter-of-factly. "I…I can't imagine my life without her."

Andy was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Are you sure getting married is a good idea? Marriage is a big step, and I don't want to regret it later."

Ephram nodded and thought for a few minutes, debating whether or not to tell his dad something that his mother had told him. In the end he did. "When I was 14…right before Mom died, I asked her how I would know that I had found the one, that person I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life with. She said that she could only tell me what it was like for her. She told me that when she met you, she knew she was either going to marry you, or she wasn't going to marry anyone." Ephram paused before continuing. "That's how it was with Liv. I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with her. There wasn't going to be anyone else for me. And I haven't doubted that for a second."

Ephram got up and grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. "You think we're moving too fast?" he asked as he sat back down. "We don't. Everything has just felt…right. Like it was the obvious thing to do."

Andy contemplated that for a moment. "All right, explain it to me. Tell me about your relationship. Tell me how you felt when you made the decision to live together and get married."

"That could take all night."

"So, it'll take all night."

Ephram nodded and took a drink of water. "I had been in London for two weeks. I went into this coffeehouse, and when I came out I walked right into the most beautiful woman I had ever seen…"


	4. Part 4

Part 4

Three hours later Ephram finally finished telling his father the whole story. From the day he and Liv met, to the game of Truth or Dare (leaving out that it was a drinking game, of course). He told him about movie night, and the decision to live together. And finally about the decision to propose, and the wedding plans they had made so far. He even told his dad that Liv wanted to ask Delia to be a bridesmaid.

Andy sent Ephram to bed shortly after he finished his story. He had finally agreed they could sleep in the same room…mostly because he was too tired to argue. Of course, logically Andy knew he didn't really have a say in the situation. If they wanted to sleep together he really couldn't stop them. They would either sneak into the same room after he went to sleep, or just leave and go to a hotel.

The only reason Andy had protested in the first place was Delia. However, according to Ephram, he and Delia spoke fairly often, and Ephram said that he had explained to her that living with Olivia included sharing a room and a bed. Andy did however insist on one condition: they couldn't have sex while Delia was in the house. Ephram completely agreed; nobody wanted Delia to walk in on something she definitely shouldn't see.

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Andy suddenly opened his eyes, not sure what had woken him up. Then he realized it was the sound of someone opening kitchen cabinets. Sleepily he looked at the clock, and was surprised to discover it was only two o'clock in the morning. He had only been asleep for about an hour. After sending Ephram to bed he had sat up thinking, and although he still wasn't sure about them getting married, he had decided not to pass judgment until he had gotten to know Olivia, and spent some time with them together.

Finally awake now, he got out of bed and headed downstairs to see who else was awake. Andy entered the kitchen and wasn't surprised to see Olivia sitting at the kitchen table. She had changed clothes and was wearing a black v-neck t-shirt and black and white striped shorts; her hair was still pulled back into a braid. She had some sheet music in front of her, as well as a mug of tea, and she was singing softly. Ephram was right; she did have a beautiful voice.

Liv stopped singing and made some marks on the pages in front of her, then looked up as she turned the page, and jumped when she saw Dr. Brown standing in the doorway.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Liv asked, feeling guilty.

"Not really," Andy answered shaking his head. He walked over to the stove and fixed himself a cup of tea before sitting across from his future daughter-in-law. "What are you doing?"

Liv smiled. "Learning. The school is putting on a production in August. I'm the female lead."

"What show?"

"Uh…sort of a tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber. You know, Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Starlight Express…"

Andy nodded, and Liv was silent for a few minutes. "I'm sorry if we surprised you. Ephram wanted to tell you in person, not over the phone."

"Well, how did your parents take the news?" he asked.

Liv shrugged. "Actually, they were pretty happy for us. But then they think Ephram and I are a lot like them."

"How so?"

"Well, they met when they were 19, and they got married six months after they met," she explained. "They've been married for 26 years. In fact, they're happy that we'll be together longer than they were when we get married."

Liv started gathering up her sheet music. "Can I ask you a question?" Andy nodded, thinking. "What bothers you so much about us? Is it how long we've been together? Is it me?"

Andy took a deep breath and looked at his mug. "I guess…I feel like you're being a little impulsive," he finally answered.

Liv snorted and laughed. "Impulsive? Ephram? Ephram has to be one of the least impulsive people I know."

"I don't know about that. Ephram has done some pretty impulsive things."

"Like what?" she asked.

"Well, I think going to Europe was pretty impulsive. And everything he did after Madison told him about the baby," he replied.

Liv smiled and stood up, and finished gathering her papers. "Let me fill you in on a little secret about your son, Dr. Brown. He's not as impulsive as he appears. Ephram thinks things through, but he doesn't tell you he's thinking about it. The first time you hear about it is when he makes his decision, so it appears impulsive."

"Liv?"

Liv glanced at Ephram who was standing at the bottom of the stairs. He was rubbing his eyes like the light was bothering him.

"Come back to bed," he said sleepily.

"I'm coming," she replied, and looked back at Andy. "Goodnight, Dr. Brown."

"Goodnight Olivia," he responded as he thought about what she had said.

Liv stopped and turned to look at him again, and smiled. "Dr. Brown? Call me Liv. All my family and friends do." She turned and walked towards Ephram.

Andy watched as Ephram held out his hand to her. Liv took his hand and smiled as he took her books and papers and led her up the stairs. Andy leaned back in his seat and thought about what he had just seen. Even half asleep Ephram had looked at Liv like she was the only other person in the world…And she had looked at him the same way…Maybe things weren't as bad as he had thought…

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Ephram led Liv into his bedroom and set the books on the desk before sitting on the bed against the headboard. "I am impulsive occasionally, you know," he said teasingly.

Liv stood in front of the mirror and began unbraiding her hair. "You were listening? How long?"

Ephram shrugged. "A while."

Liv finished unbraiding her hair and sat on the edge of the bed. "So, tell me when you were impulsive," she teased.

"I thought kissing you was fairly impulsive," he answered. "So was sleeping with you."

"Ephram, we almost slept together twice before we actually slept together."

"Yeah," he said quietly, and then looked at her curiously. "Do you think we would've had sex that night, in the closet, if Maggie hadn't interrupted us?"

Liv sighed and turned so she was sitting on her feet. "I don't know. I…I don't think so. I think we would've stopped," she finally answered, although she wasn't really sure. Until Maggie had knocked they both had been completely oblivious to their surroundings. She hoped they would've stopped. A closet was not where she had wanted to make love to Ephram for the first time.

Ephram nodded. "What about later that night? At your apartment? If Amy hadn't called…"

Liv shook her head. "I don't think we would've stopped." Actually, she was positive they wouldn't have stopped. "But, I don't think it was very impulsive when we did sleep together."

"Yes, it was," Ephram insisted. "I had every intention of following through on that whole 'friend' thing."

Liv moved closer to him so their knees were touching. "So, what happened?" she asked quietly.

Ephram leaned forward and took her hands in his. "You smiled at me."

"What?"

"You smiled at me," he repeated. "I was sitting next to you, pretending to watch the movie, and I realized that I was the biggest idiot on the planet."

Liv laughed.

"I'm serious. I realized that I was completely in love with you, and I was a moron for thinking that being just friends was more important," he explained.

"How come you never told me this before?" she asked.

Ephram shook his head, confused. "I tell you I love you all the time."

Liv shook her head, too. "Not like that."

"Okay." Ephram shifted on the bed, tightened his hold on her hands, and gazed into her eyes. "Liv, I am completely and totally out of my mind in love with you…and when you smile at me, my only thought is that forever isn't going to be nearly long enough."

Liv gazed back at him with tears in her eyes. That was the most wonderful thing anyone had ever said to her. There were no words to describe how he made her feel. Speechless, she got up on her knees and moved so she was straddling him before leaning down and kissing him. Ephram reached up and rested his hands on her hips. Liv ran her tongue along his lips, and he opened his mouth granting her access. They gently explored each other's mouth. And although they had shared a million kisses, this one was different… It was deeper…it was…more… After a few minutes, Liv slowly pulled away, and Ephram's hands remained on her hips, not allowing her to move from his lap.

"Wow," Ephram whispered, stunned. After almost a year together that was by far the most amazing kiss they had ever shared.

"Yeah," Liv replied, trying to catch her breath.

Ephram gazed into her eyes and smiled. "I wish I had told you that a year ago."

Liv laughed and leaned down to kiss him again. Ephram deepened the kiss immediately and moved his hands from her hips, sliding them up her back under her shirt. Running his hands along her bare back, he slowly pushed her t-shirt higher, and then started to lift it over her head.

Liv pushed away from him. "Ephram, wait." She pushed his hands down. "We can't."

Ephram pulled her close again, raised his eyebrows, and smiled mischievously. "Sure we can."

"You promised your dad we wouldn't," she reminded him as she moved off his lap to lie down next to him.

Ephram groaned and lay down on his side next to her. He thought back to that conversation with his father, and desperately wished he hadn't made that agreement with him. Then he smiled again as something occurred to him. "Actually, we promised we wouldn't with Delia in the house. And she won't be home until tomorrow," he replied, and then leaned over to kiss her again.

Liv put a hand on his chest to stop him. Ephram reached up and took her hand in his. He brought their joined hands down to his waist before leaning over and placing light kisses on Liv's neck.

"You dad's room is right across the hall," she protested weakly as she released his hand and placed her hand on the back of his neck, pulling his closer.

"So, we'll be quiet," Ephram explained in between kisses. He moved from her neck to the skin that was exposed by her v-neck shirt, and ran his hands along her bare back again.

Liv moaned trying to remember why she was protesting as she reached down and pulled Ephram's shirt over his head. She gently ran her fingernails down his chest, causing him to moan. Ephram's mouth found hers again and he gently started pulling her shirt up. Suddenly, Liv came to her senses and realized what they were doing, and pushed Ephram away…and right off the bed.

"Ow! Damnit!" he exclaimed as he hit his elbow on the nightstand.

Liv gasped and put her hand over her mouth. She hadn't meant to push him so hard, and certainly hadn't meant to hurt him. "Oh! Sweetie, I'm sorry."

"What the hell did you do that for?" he asked angrily as he stood up.

"I didn't mean to."

Ephram rubbed his elbow. "That really hurt!"

Liv cringed. "I'm sorry." She gestured for him to sit on the bed. "I didn't mean to push you that hard." She took his arm and rubbed his elbow, as she looked at him. They were both silent for a few minutes, giving themselves time to calm down a little.

"So, what…" Ephram said, shaking his head. "We can't have sex until we get home?"

Liv shook her head, too. "I didn't say that. I just… Not when your dad and Delia are in the house. I don't particularly want an audience."

Ephram sighed and shook his in disbelief. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. How often did she think they were going to have the house to themselves? Most likely, they would have to wait until they got back to London.

"Oh, don't give me that look. It's not like a said we couldn't until after the wedding," she said frustrated.

Ephram narrowed his eyes. This conversation just kept getting worse.

Liv looked at Ephram, and saw the disbelief on his face. "Oh, be serious. I don't think I could hold out for that long any more than you could," she whispered loudly. She really didn't want his father to overhear them. For some reason, having Andy overhear them arguing about having sex seemed so much worse than him hearing them have sex.

Ephram stopped rubbing his elbow and looked at her. He couldn't believe this. Were they actually arguing about whether or not they could refrain from having sex? "What makes you think I couldn't keep my hands off you until after the wedding?" he whispered angrily.

Liv stood up and gave him a look. That look that said she was really getting annoyed with him. The look that made him want to run for his life. "I'm sorry, that wasn't you in the shower with me this morning?" she asked sarcastically.

Ephram groaned and fell back onto the bed. This had been the longest day. "This is stupid," he replied, sounding tired. He glanced over at Liv standing in the middle of the room with her arms crossed over her stomach. "I can't believe we're actually arguing about this."

Ephram got up and walked over to stand in front of her. He reached out and ran his hands up and down her arms. "You're right," he stated. "I can't keep my hands off of you. I want you all the time."

Liv sighed and uncrossed her arms. "Well, I'm not any better than you. Do you have any idea how hard it was to push you away? I've never done that before," she laughed softly. She raised her hands and rested them on Ephram's hips. "I'm not saying we can't until we get home. I'm just saying that I don't want to…"

"I know," he whispered. Ephram took a deep breath and gazed into her eyes. "Fight over?"

Liv smiled. "Yeah, fight over." She leaned closer and gently kissed him. After she pulled back, she reached down and took his hand, and walked towards the bed. "It's late. Let's go to bed."


	5. Part 5

Part 5

As Ephram had predicted Delia was happy for her brother. She was happy that he was happy; happier than she had seen him in a long time. For that reason alone she liked Liv, although she did like the idea of having a sister. Especially one who had agreed to take her back to school clothes shopping before they returned to England.

That was probably the only part of Ephram and Liv getting married that Delia didn't like. If Ephram was married, then that meant that he wasn't going to come back and live with them. He was going to stay in England.

Ephram was ecstatic that Delia was happy for them. If only he could be sure about his dad. Sometimes Andy seemed fine; happy and accepting. Other times he looked like he was going to start lecturing them about what a mistake he thought they were making. Hopefully, his father would be able to refrain himself for a few more days, then they would be heading home.

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Ephram silently opened the door to the studio and glanced around the empty room. Without looking back he reached for Liv's hand, and smiled when he felt her small hand wrap around his larger one. He led her into the room and closed the door behind them. For the first time since arriving in Colorado they were alone; Andy had gone to the office and Delia was over at a friend's house. This was also the first time Ephram had ventured into the studio since selling everything and leaving the year before.

"So, this is it," he stated quietly, as he looked around sadly. The room looked so big without anything in it.

Watching his expression of sadness, Liv stepped in front of him, took both his hands, and led him into the center of the room. "Describe it to me. Tell me where everything was," she insisted.

Ephram removed one of his hands from hers and ran it through his hair. "Okay, the piano was here," he began. "It was a black grand piano. The keyboard and computer were over in that corner," he said pointing towards the corner. "Uh…and the couch was over there."

Ephram released her hand and continued staring around the room, while Liv walked to where the couch used to be, and leaned against the wall, watching him as she tried to picture the room as Ephram had described it. "You said your dad soundproofed the room?" she finally asked.

"Yeah, so I could practice whenever I wanted."

"Do you ever regret it? Giving up Julliard?" she asked quietly.

Ephram looked at her for a moment. How was it possible for someone to look that beautiful in worn jeans and a sleeveless black button-down shirt? But, he wondered, not for the first time, if she was really that beautiful; or was it just because he was completely in love with her. He shook his head, trying to remember what she had asked. "You're a hell of a lot better than Julliard," he finally answered.

Liv smiled and looked around again, thinking about the fact that the room was soundproofed. "So, did you and Amy ever…?"

Ephram looked at her questioningly. "Here?" he asked. "No, but Bright brought a few girls here."

Liv laughed. "That sounds like Bright." She put her hands behind her back and gazed at her future husband. "Ephram?"

"Yeah?" he answered glancing at her.

"We're alone…in a soundproofed room…" Liv pointed out.

Ephram looked around the room again, realizing that she was right. "You make an excellent point," he said smiling, as he walked towards her. He leaned against the wall with a hand on either side of her. "Hi," he whispered.

"Hi," she whispered back.

Ephram leaned over and gently kissed her. He pulled away and brushed a curl out of her eyes. Liv smiled and raised her left hand to grab his. Ephram adjusted his grip on her hand and ran his thumb over her engagement ring before leaning over and kissing her again. She released his hand and ran her hands up her arms, resting her arms on his shoulders, as Ephram wrapped his arms around her waist.

Ephram ended the kiss and rested his forehead against Liv's. "Are you sure?" he whispered. "We're still in the house."

Liv nodded. "Your dad and Delia won't be home for hours," she reminded him.

Ephram's smile grew. "Also an excellent point," he said as he leaned in to kiss her again. He moved his arms from around her waist and ran his hands up and down her sides. Then he slowly unbuttoned her shirt without breaking the kiss. Liv ran her hands down Ephram's back and underneath his t-shirt.

Reaching down, Ephram ran his hands along Liv's jean clad hips and lifted her up, pushing her against the wall as their kisses became more passionate. Liv wrapped her legs around his waist, and gasped when Ephram's mouth shifted from her mouth to her neck and the skin that was exposed by her open shirt.

Then, as adjusted his hold on Liv, he lost his balance and fell over backwards with Liv on top of him, groaning when his head hit the floor.

Seeing his pained expression, Liv rested a hand on either side of his head, holding herself above him. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

Ephram grimaced and rubbed the back of his head. "Thank God my dad had the room carpeted."

Liv laughed and moved one of her hands to the back of his head. He grabbed her hand and laced their fingers together. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" she asked still concerned.

Ephram nodded and released her hand. He reached up, put a hand behind her neck pulling her mouth to his. They quickly returned to where they had been before falling down. After a few minutes Liv pulled away from Ephram, kneeling with one leg on either side of him. She began pushing his shirt up, and he sat up just enough to pull the shirt over his head and toss it to the side.

Liv pushed him back down and began kissing her way down his chest and stomach as Ephram's breathing became more ragged.

"Oops, sorry."

Liv quickly sat up and pulled her shirt closed at the sound of Bright's voice. She slid off of Ephram and sat on the floor. Ephram stood up, grabbing his shirt on the way, and then held his hand out to Liv to pull her up.

"Bright," Ephram yelled as Liv buttoned her shirt. "You can come back in now."

Ephram was pulling his shirt over his head as Bright walked back in. "Sorry, guys," Bright apologized. "Should've knocked."

"What are you doing here?" Ephram asked.

"Hannah and I are going to hang out at the lake today. You guys wanna come?" Bright asked.

Ephram and Liv looked at each other and shrugged, silently having a conversation. "Sure," Ephram finally answered. "Just let us go change, and grab some stuff."

Liv left the studio, and Ephram started to follow, but was stopped by Bright. "Just want to warn you, we also invited Amy. She said she didn't want to come when we told her that we were inviting you guys, but…"

Ephram nodded. "Okay, I'll warn Liv."

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An hour later the four of them found themselves alone on a fairly secluded stretch of beach. They had laid down a couple of big blankets, and had a couple of coolers filled with drinks and food. After half an hour of lounging in the sun, Ephram and Liv declared that they were going for a walk. As they disappeared hand in hand into the woods, Bright and Hannah shared a look, knowing that the couple would be doing very little walking. With a shake of his head Bright returned his attention to his magazine as Hannah picked up her book again.

Forty-five minutes later Bright looked up in surprise to see Amy walking towards them. He really hadn't expected her to show up.

Amy set her bag down and looked area the area, not seeing Ephram. "Didn't they come?" she asked curiously. Maybe she had worried about coming for nothing.

"They went for a walk," Hannah answered, glancing at Bright. They had argued about whether or not it was a good idea to invite Amy. Amy was her best friend, but Ephram was Bright's. The situation was made even more difficult by the fact that she genuinely liked Liv. She and Bright had gone out with Ephram and Liv a few times since they had been in town, and Hannah thought that Liv was smart, funny, and perfect for Ephram…and that was part of the problem. She felt like she was betraying her best friend by being friends with her ex-boyfriend's fiancé. Even stranger was the thought that Amy would probably really like Liv is she wasn't marrying Ephram.

"Are you going to avoid them for the rest of your life?" Bright asked quietly.

"I don't get it," Amy exclaimed, ignoring Bright's question. "How can he be planning to marry her? Last year he was talking about being too young to settle down; about not being ready for that kind of relationship. You two have been together just as long as they have. Are you thinking about getting married?" she asked angrily.

Bright and Hannah glanced at each other again. They **had** discussed it, but decided they weren't ready yet; they wanted to finish school first. "No," Bright answered. "But…they're not us, and we're not them. They are doing what's right for them, Amy."

Amy snorted and crossed her arms; surprised that Bright was trying to be the voice of reason.

"What are you more upset about? That he's getting married? Or that he's marrying the first girl he met after you?" Bright moved closer to his sister; he had finally had enough. He didn't exactly understand why they were getting married so fast either, but Ephram seemed happy and that was enough for him. "Have you been on a date since Ephram left" he asked out of the blue.

Amy looked at him confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Have you tried to move on? He didn't do it on purpose, Amy," Bright continued angrily. "Ephram didn't get to London and think 'hey, I think I'll fall in love and get married while I'm here.' It just happened. They met by chance; they literally bumped into each other one day. And he agonized about the decision to be with her. He almost walked away from her, partially because he didn't want to hurt you anymore than he already had!"

"They're perfect for each other, Amy," Hannah stated quietly.

Amy looked at her best friend in shock. She couldn't believe she was hearing this; Hannah was supposed to be on her side.

"Just watch them; see how they are together," Hannah continued. "Get to know Liv."

Amy looked at Bright and Hannah in disbelief; she had thought that they would agree with her. She grabbed a book out of her bag and lay down. Bright and Hannah shared yet another look surprised that Amy didn't just leave, before returning to their own reading material.

Fifteen minutes later Ephram and Liv emerged from the woods still holding hands. Amy watched the couple walking towards the blankets, thinking about what Bright and Hannah had said. If Bright alone had said those things to her she probably would have dismissed them, because Ephram was his best friend. But if Hannah thought they were perfect for each other…

They walked over to the blankets and Liv sat down and rummaged in her bag pulling out a bottle of sunscreen, while Ephram pulled his t-shirt over his head and sat down next to her. Without saying a word Liv began applying sunscreen to his back.

"Have a good walk?" Bright asked.

"Yeah," Ephram answered, and then looked at Amy. She had avoided him like the plague since he and Liv had gotten to Colorado. Actually, she had avoided him since he had told her about Liv the previous November. "Amy, you remember Liv?" he finally asked.

Amy nodded and attempted to smile, not really succeeding.

"Okay," Bright said, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. "I'm going for a swim. Who's coming?"

"I am," Ephram replied.

"Ladies?" Bright asked as he stood up.

"In a little bit," Hannah answered.

Ephram stood up, too, giving Liv a quick kiss as he did. Amy watched as he stretched and began to walk away. At the airport she had thought that the only physical change in Ephram had been his hair, but now she saw other changes. He was also more muscular; his chest and shoulders had filled out. As he walked away Amy's mouth opened in shock as she saw another big change; he now had a tattoo on the back of his left shoulder, but was too far away to make out what it was. Ephram was the last person Amy thought would ever get a tattoo.

Amy looked at Hannah to see her reaction, but she either didn't notice it or wasn't surprised by it. Her gaze shifted to Liv who was lying on her stomach watching Ephram and Bright as they tried to drown each other, and wasn't surprised to see that Liv had a tattoo in the same place.

Liv smiled as she watched Ephram and Bright. After a few minutes she sat back up and pulled a notebook out of her bag. Amy's gaze swept back and forth between Ephram and Liv for a few minutes before returning to her book.

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Hannah squealed causing Amy to look up in surprise just in time to see Hannah hanging over Bright's shoulder as he ran towards the water. Then she looked next to her and saw Ephram standing over Liv.

"Do it and you'll sleep on the couch for a month," Liv threatened.

Ephram smiled and leaned over whispering in her ear so only she could hear him. "You won't make me sleep on the couch. You said it yourself; you can't keep your hands off of me any more than I can keep my hands off you."

Liv pulled back and raised an eyebrow as she gazed at him. "Really? Try it, and we'll find out."

The next thing Liv knew she was hanging over Ephram's shoulder, staring at his back. "Ephram! Put me down!"

"Okay, okay," he replied right before he threw his fiancé in the water. He started laughing as he surfaced, and then choked as she pushed him down. When Ephram surfaced, Liv pushed him down again, and he pulled her down with him. They both surfaced, laughing as they continued wrestling in the water.

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Ephram lowered his magazine to his chest, and glanced at the water seeing Amy and Hannah floating on rafts while Bright swam between them. He then looked at Liv lying next to him, reading some wedding magazine. He had seen the look on Amy's face when Liv pulled out the magazine; a combination of sadness and pain, and he had chosen to ignore it. It wasn't that Ephram didn't care about hurting Amy anymore; he was just tired of apologizing and feeling guilty. He was tired of feeling guilty for falling in love with Liv; for wanting to get married.

Ephram sighed and set his magazine aside as he rolled onto his side with his head resting on his hand, and gazed at Liv. "Liv?"

She lowered her magazine and gazed back at him. "Yeah?" she replied smiling.

Ephram reached out and gently ran a finger over the inch of bare skin that was exposed by her two-piece bathing suit. "I'm sorry about Amy," he apologized quietly.

"It's not your fault." Liv rested her hand on Ephram's as she set her magazine aside.

"Isn't it?" he asked. "I'm the one who hurt her. I'm the one who left."

"You didn't hurt her on purpose. It's been a year, and it's not your fault if she's still upset," Liv explained. "She has to get over you eventually."

Ephram sighed, knowing she was right. He looked at Bright, Amy, and Hannah over his shoulder.

"Besides, I don't see why she's still so hurt. I mean, really, how hard can it be to get over you?" Liv continued.

Ephram quickly looked down at her in shock, and saw Liv fighting to keep a smile off her face. He released her hand and began tickling her side.

She squealed and tried to push his hand away. "Ephram! Stop! I take it back," Liv exclaimed.

"Am I hard to get over?" he asked, laughing now, too.

"Impossible!"

"And if we broke up?"

"I would spend the rest of my life pining for you!" she finally managed to say through her laughter.

"That's all I ask," Ephram said, still laughing as he stopped tickling her.

Liv slowly stopped laughing and gazed at Ephram who was lying over her now. "You know, I probably would spend the rest of my life pining for you," she said quietly.

Ephram reached down and brushed a curl out of her eyes. "Well, we're not going to break up, so we'll never have to find out." He rested his hand on her stomach again as he stared into her eyes.

Liv raised her hand and gently ran it through Ephram's hair. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too," he whispered back, and then leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips before pulling away. He leaned down again and this time the kiss was slow, deep, and long.

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Amy's raft slowly finished its rotation and she found herself facing the shore. She gasped as she saw Ephram and Liv kissing, with Ephram lying half on top of her. Liv ran her left hand through Ephram's hair, the sunlight reflecting off her engagement ring. Amy looked away and saw Bright and Hannah watching her.

"Amy?" Hannah asked, sounding worried.

"I'm all right," she replied as she looked back at Ephram and Liv sadly.


	6. Part 6

Author's Note: Finally, a new part! Sorry for the long time in between parts…writer's block. Knew where I wanted to go, but wasn't sure how to get there. I think I'm satisfied with this, but who knows…I may rewrite it later.

Part 6

Ephram had the house to himself and was taking advantage of it. His dad had gone grocery shopping; Nina, Sam, and Hannah were coming over for dinner, and Liv had taken Delia clothes shopping. Ephram had set himself up at the old piano, which still sat in the living room, and he was writing music to go with some lyrics their friend Sara had written.

Ephram jotted down a few more notes and played the sequence again, mentally reciting the lyrics, and wished that Liv was there to sing so he could hear how it sounded. He'd have to have her do it when they got back. He had just picked up his pencil again when someone knocked on the door. Before getting up to answer the door, he wrote down another note.

Ephram opened the door and was shocked to see Amy standing on the other side. He really hadn't expected to see her again. That day at the lake she had been quiet, but polite. She had really only spoken to him when it was necessary, and he didn't think she had said a word to Liv.

"Hi," Amy greeted him nervously.

"Hey," he replied, wondering what she was doing there.

"Um…can we talk?" she asked quietly.

Ephram thought for a moment before taking a step back and gesturing for her to come in. He had a feeling that he knew where this conversation was going to go. They entered the living room where Amy sat on the couch and Ephram took a chair opposite her. Both were silent for a few minutes while Ephram waited for Amy to speak.

"Amy…" Ephram said, breaking the silence. "What did you want to talk about?"

She looked up at him sadly. "You're never coming back, are you?" she asked quietly.

"Amy…"

"You never had any intention of coming back here, did you?"

Ephram took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. "No…I knew when I left that I wouldn't be coming back here…not to live anyway," he finally answered.

Amy looked down at her hands in an attempt to hide the tears that were stinging her eyes from him. "Why didn't you tell me that? Why didn't you tell me you weren't coming back?"

"I did tell you," Ephram answered, shaking his head. "But you didn't want to hear me."

Amy looked back up at him. "And how long after you left here did you meet her?"

"Amy, I've told all this already."

"I stopped listening after you told me her name," Amy admitted.

Ephram sighed. "Two weeks. But we were friends for two months before we started dating."

"And you don't think you're moving kind of-"

Ephram put up a hand to stop her and took another deep breath. "Amy, if you're here to tell me that we're getting married too fast, making a big mistake…or anything else along those lines, you can save your breath," he said starting to get angry. "I've heard it before and no one's convinced me they're right so far."

"You've only known her for a year!" Amy exclaimed as she stood up.

"I'm well aware of how long I've known her! Why do you all keep coming back to that?" Ephram asked angrily, as he stood up and started pacing. "Is there some required length of time you have to know someone before you can get married and no one's told me?"

"No, but…it wasn't supposed to be like this. You weren't supposed to stay there…you weren't supposed to fall in love!"

Ephram stopped in front of Amy. "I am sorry that I hurt you. I am sorry that I don't love you the way that you love me. But I am not sorry that I met Liv. I am not sorry that I fell in love with her, and I am not sorry that I am marrying her," Ephram explained calmly. He looked up and saw his father standing in the doorway. "I am marrying Liv in August and there is nothing either one of you can say or do that will make me change my mind," he continued.

Andy set the groceries down and entered the living room, standing behind Amy. "Ephram, we're worried about you," Andy stated calmly.

Ephram began pacing again, looking back and forth between Amy and his father. "So, what, you two thought you would gang up on me and suddenly I would change my mind? Did you think I would come to my senses and come back here?"

"Ephram," Amy began, but was interrupted by Andy.

"We don't want you to make a mistake and do something you'll regret," Andy finished.

Ephram stopped pacing and looked at his father in disbelief. He thought that Andy had accepted that he was getting married. He should've known better. "Well, then, I guess it's my mistake to make. It's my life, and neither one of you has any say in what I do with my life anymore. In fact the only other person who does have a say in my life is Olivia." Ephram looked at his father. "You said you were okay with this. You said you were okay with Liv and I getting married. Were you lying?"

"No, Ephram, I…I tried to be okay, I did," Andy tried to explain.

"Try harder!" Ephram yelled. "I am marrying Liv! I'm sorry if you don't approve, but I really don't care anymore!"

Ephram stormed out of the room walking past Liv and Delia, who had come in unnoticed sometime during the fight. They all flinched as they heard the door slam.

Liv looked back and forth between Amy and Andy, and then handed the shopping bags she was holding to Delia. "Here, sweetie, why don't you take these up to your room?" Liv glanced at Amy and Andy again before turning and following Ephram.

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Liv tossed her purse on the bed in the motel room, and took a deep breath as she looked around. After driving aimlessly for a few hours she had finally convinced Ephram to stop for the night. She thought they were still in Colorado…but she wasn't really sure.

"I'm going to go get us something to eat," Ephram offered, sounding tired.

Liv glanced towards the door where he was still standing and nodded. "Okay." Ephram walked the few steps towards her and gave her a quick kiss before leaving.

After an hour in the car, Ephram had finally told her everything that had happened earlier. Now all she wanted to do was call Dr. Brown and yell at him for hurting Ephram…but she had promised Ephram she wouldn't do that. However, she would call him. She dug her cell phone out of her purse, and scrolled through the phone book, grateful that Ephram had programmed her phone when he had done his. She sat on the bed looking at the number for a few minutes, debating whether or not she should actually call Dr. Brown.

She just didn't understand Ephram's father's reaction. Her parents had been thrilled when they had told them they were getting married. In fact, her mother had started planning the wedding almost immediately. Their friends had been happy for them, too. They had even joked about it, asking what had taken them so long.

Liv sighed and glanced around the motel room again, hoping that Ephram was all right. All she ever wanted was for Ephram to be happy, but right now she wasn't sure how to do that. She hit the button to dial the number for the Brown house and bit her lip as she waited for someone to answer.

"Hello?"

"Dr. Brown? It's Liv."

"Thank, God. Where are you? Let me talk to Ephram," Andy insisted.

"We're at a motel somewhere in Colorado…I think. I'm not really sure where we are, but Ephram knows," Liv explained. "And…he doesn't want to talk to you yet. He doesn't even know I'm calling you…" Liv trailed off as she heard someone coming towards the door. "I've gotta go. We'll be back tomorrow." She snapped the phone shut before Dr. Brown had a chance to say another word and tossed the phone back in her purse just as Ephram opened the door.

Ephram entered the room carrying a pizza box and a shopping bag. Liv got up and walked over, taking the pizza from him, and setting it down on the table.

"Okay," Ephram started as he reached into the shopping bag. "Bottle of water for you," he said, handing it to her. "Soda for me, and napkins."

Liv smiled and thanked him as she opened the pizza box and was surprised to discover that he had gotten a veggie pizza. She smiled and shook her head. "You really are amazing, you know that?" she asked as she gazed at him.

Ephram looked up at her confused. "What?"

Liv took a couple of steps closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You've had a horrible day. You have every right to be miserable and pissed at the world…and you come back with my favorite pizza. You really are amazing."

Ephram sighed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him. "Yeah, well…no reason for both of us to be miserable." Ephram released her and sat down. "Come on, let's eat."

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An hour later Liv found herself in the bathroom washing her face. She had changed clothes and was now wearing Ephram's t-shirt. Having rushed out of the house neither had any clothes other than what they had been wearing. Ephram had offered her his shirt, saying that he could sleep in his boxers. Liv took a deep breath and looked at her reflection in the mirror, and wondered how the hell they had ended up in a motel in the middle of Colorado with only the clothes on their backs and whatever Liv had in her purse…

"Liv?" Ephram called quietly.

Liv grabbed a towel from the edge of the sink and pressed it to her face before turning and leaning in the doorway. Ephram was still sitting at the table where he had sat back down after giving her his shirt. "Hmm?"

Ephram looked up at her and she was surprised to see that he had tears in his eyes, and in that moment she wanted to tell him to screw his father, go to the airport and go home…

"Could you come here for a minute?" he asked quietly.

Liv tossed the towel on the sink and walked across the room to him. He reached up and placed his hands on her waist and pulled her onto his lap. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he buried his face in her neck and breathed in her scent. Liv wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly for a few minutes.

"Something occurred to me today as we were driving back and forth across the state," Liv finally said quietly. "Have you noticed that the only people who seem to be concerned that we're getting married are the ones here?"

Ephram moved his head and looked up at her in surprise. He hadn't noticed, but now that he thought about it… "Everybody we see all the time…the people we see on a daily basis…they're happy for us," he realized.

Liv nodded. "I was thinking about it…they see how we always are; they know how we live…"

"The people here only know what we've told them…" he finished.

"And as much as we would like to think so, we haven't been acting like our normal selves here. Not around other people anyway," Liv continued.

Ephram stared into space and thought about that for a few minutes before speaking again. "Okay, we have three more days here, right? So, here's what we're going to do. From now on we act like ourselves."

Liv raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"I mean it. Act how we would normally act. If I feel like saying that I love you, then I'm gonna say it no matter who's around…You can sing and dance while doing the dishes, and maybe I'll join you…If you want to wear a tank top, then wear a tank top even if it does show off your tattoo. Hell, I'll walk around shirtless so Dad can see my tattoo," Ephram exclaimed, making Liv laugh.

"What are we going to do about your father?" Liv asked still laughing.

Ephram thought about it for a couple of minutes. "Well, we have three days to convince him that our marriage is the best thing in the world," he finally answered.

"And Amy?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah, I don't think we're ever going to convince her," he joked.

"Ephram…"

"I'll talk to her before we leave," he answered after a moment's hesitation. "You know, I'm in a much better mood now," he said as he moved one under her knees, and kept the other around her waist and stood up with Liv in his arms. Ephram walked over to the bed and gently laid Liv down before lying down next to her. "Now, if you don't mind, I don't want to talk about my father or Amy anymore." He reached back and turned off the lamp.

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The next morning…

Ephram entered the motel room, and walked straight back to the bathroom where he could hear the shower running. He entered the bathroom and stuck his head into the steamy shower. "Here," he said as he handed Liv a disposable razor.

"Thanks," she replied as she took it from him.

Ephram stepped over to the sink and unpacked the rest of the items he had purchased (another disposable razor, deodorant for both of them, toothbrushes, and a comb) at the drugstore across the street.

"So, I was thinking," Ephram yelled over the shower. "Did we bring those DVD's that Nick made? The ones with everyone's birthdays and the other stuff?"

"I think so. Why?"

"Well…I was thinking that instead of fighting with Dad for the next three days, I would just hand him the DVD's and say 'here, this is us,'" Ephram explained.

Liv pushed aside the shower curtain and stuck her head out. "And what if he watches the video's and still thinks we're making a mistake?" she asked.

Ephram put down his razor and glanced over at her. "Well, I guess he'll just have to learn to live with it, because nothing is going to change my mind."

Liv pulled her head back into the shower and closed the curtain as Ephram turned and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He hoped this worked; he did not want to spend the rest of his life arguing with his father. If this didn't work he didn't know what he was going to do…

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A few hours later…

"Here," Ephram said as he handed Andy three DVD's. He and Liv had arrived back at his father's house a few minutes earlier, and he hadn't wasted any time in digging the DVD's out of his suitcase.

"What is this?" Andy asked curiously.

"DVD's. It's us…Liv and me. Home videos of us, our friends…a good bit of the past year is there," Ephram explained. "I can try to explain it to you until the end of time, but it's probably not going to change anything. Watch this…maybe it will change your mind."

"And if it doesn't?"

Ephram shrugged. "Then I guess you'll need to learn to live with it, because Liv and I are getting married, and there isn't anything you can say or do that will change that."

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As Andy watched the video he was pleased to see that Ephram had acquired a close group of friends. He had always been slightly concerned that Ephram seemed to be a bit of a loner in Everwood. The only friends he really had were Amy, Bright, and Hannah, but in London he seemed to have a larger group of friends. It probably helped that they were all musicians and attended the same music conservatory. Andy was thrilled that Ephram had friends that were like him.

The videos were helpful in that they filled in some of the blanks. The first time Ephram had ever mentioned Liv was to say that he had made a friend. The next time he really had talked about her was when he had been in Everwood the previous fall, and that was to tell Andy that they were living together. And the first time he met Liv they told him that they were getting married. He had missed everything that had happened in between.

Ephram had handed Andy three DVD's, and Andy had been able to fast-forward through sections of them. However, there were three sections of the videos in particular that caught his attention: the day Ephram and Liv moved in together, Liv's birthday, and the day they told their friends that they were getting married.

_Moving day…_

_The camera panned around a partially furnished apartment. Most of the furniture was piled in the middle of the room, with boxes surrounding it._

_"So, here we are at Ephram and Liv's new flat," Nick narrated. "It's moving day, and they now officially live together," he said as he turned to face the kitchen where the girls were unpacking boxes. "And we all came over to help." _

_Mark walked across the screen holding one end of a couch, and was soon followed by Ephram holding the other end. Ephram stopped and faced the camera, looking at it angrily. "Nick, why don't you put down the camera, and actually help," he said sounding irritated. _

_"What? Oh, yeah," Nick replied as he moved the camera and turned it off. _

_When the next scene began a couple of hours had passed. Nick had the camera focused on Ephram and Liv who were sitting side by side on the kitchen table. _

_"So, how's the happy couple? How're you guys feeling? Scared? Nervous?" Nick asked. _

_"Surprisingly, no," Liv answered, shaking her head. _

_"Ephram?" _

_Ephram turned to look at Liv and smiled. "Best decision I ever made." _

_"Awww…" Nick said mockingly. "Now give us a kiss." _

_"Nick…" they moaned together. _

_"Come on," Nick urged. _

_Liv and Ephram looked at each other again, and leaned in towards each other for a quick kiss. _

_"Now, I know you can do better than that." _

_Liv rolled her eyes at Nick before facing Ephram again. The second kiss they shared lasted longer, and was more passionate. _

_"I love you," Ephram whispered as they broke apart. _

_"I love you, too," Liv whispered back. _

_Liv's 19th Birthday…   
Nick held the camera pointing it towards himself. "Okay…it's Liv's 19th birthday." He turned the camera around and pointed it towards Liv, Ephram, Maggie, and Mark standing in Ephram and Liv's kitchen. "So, Liv, what are we doing tonight?" _

_Liv smiled and glanced first at Maggie and then at Ephram. "We're going dancing," she said as she faced the camera again. Then the scene faded to black. _

_The next time the camera came on they appeared to be in a nightclub. Nick was wandering among the dancers capturing the event. The fast song transitioned to a slow one, and the bodies slowed as well. Nick panned over Mark and Maggie, and then stopped as he swept over Ephram and Liv. They had their arms wrapped around each other, their eyes locked on each other. But what made Nick stop was Ephram softly singing along… _

_I don't know but I believe   
That some things are meant to be   
And that you'll make a better me   
Everyday I love you _

_I never thought that dreams came true   
But you've shown me that they do   
You know I learn something new   
Everyday I love you _

_'Cause I believe that destiny   
Is out of our control   
And you'll never live until you love   
With all your heart and soul _

_It's a touch when I feel bad   
It's a smile when I get mad   
All the little things I am   
Everyday I love you _

_'Cause I believe that destiny   
Is out of our control   
And you'll never live until you love   
With all your heart and soul _

_If I asked would you say yes?   
Together we're the very best   
I know that I am truly blessed   
Everyday I love you   
And I'll give you my best   
Everyday I love you _

_Declaration day…   
They were all gathered at Mark's apartment. Mark's birthday had been the previous week, and as predicted his birthday request had been Truth or Dare. For some reason, which the others couldn't figure out, he was fascinated by that game. They had some unfinished business from the game, and Mark was making sure everyone had followed through on their dares. _

_"Sara, you're first," Mark started. _

_Sara got up from her seat on the couch and lifted her shirt enough to show her belly button and the new piercing that was there. The rest glanced at each other, surprised. Nobody thought she would actually go through with her dare. _

_Mark looked at Ephram and Liv. "Your turn." _

_Ephram and Liv glanced at each other before standing up as well. Liv reached up and slipped her cardigan sweater off her shoulders and turned around, so that her back was to the others, as Ephram pulled his shirt over his head and turned around as well. Both had a small tattoo of a Celtic knot on the back of the their left shoulders. Mark was surprised to discover that they had followed through with their dare as well. Actually, Ephram had followed through. He had been dared to get a tattoo and convince Liv to get one as well. Nobody thought he would be able to convince Liv. _

_Ephram put his shirt back on as Liv pulled her sweater back up and they looked at each other as they did so. _

_"So, we have some news," Ephram said as they faced the others again. He wrapped his arm around Liv's waist, pulling her close. _

_"We're getting married!" they exclaimed together, as Liv held up her hand showing them her engagement ring. _

_Maggie jumped up and ran over to hug her best friend, and squealed as she inspected the ring; Sara and Annie soon joined them. Mark, Nick, and David also jumped up and walked over to Ephram, and everyone began talking excitedly at once. They all seemed very happy. _

Andy pressed the stop button on the remote and sat back, thinking. When Ephram had handed him the videos, he hadn't really thought that it would make a difference, but he was thrilled to discover that he was wrong. The videos had greatly changed his opinion about Ephram and Liv's relationship. They had filled in the blanks in their relationship. After seeing how the relationship had progressed he no longer thought that they were moving too fast.

Andy walked downstairs and saw Ephram and Liv lounging on the porch swing. Ephram was sitting up one end, and Liv was lying on the swing, her head resting on Ephram's thigh, one leg hanging off the side. The window behind them was open, and Andy could hear that they were discussing the wedding.

"What about the seating chart for the reception?" Liv asked.

Ephram lowered the papers he was reading and stared into space, thinking. "Why don't we skip the seating chart and just let people sit where they want? I mean, we only invited…what…50 people," he finally answered.

"No seating chart it is," Liv agreed, making a note on the papers she was holding. "Have you decided if you want to rent a tux or just wear your black suit?"

"Would you be upset if I just wore my suit?"

Liv leaned her head back to look up at him. "If I was going to be upset by it, I wouldn't have given you the choice. I would've told you to rent a tux."

"Good point." Ephram shuffled the papers in his hand. "What is this list?" he asked, holding the page over her face.

"It's a list for the photographer. We have to check which photos we want to have taken," she explained. "Do you want to do the formal pictures before the wedding?"

"Of us?" he asked. "No," he answered after he felt her nod her head. "Because the first time I see you in your wedding dress, I want you to be walking down an aisle towards me. What other pictures are we getting?"

"The usual…us, the wedding party, us with my parents, us with your dad and Delia…"

"And if my dad doesn't come?"

She looked up at him again. "Do you really think he wouldn't come?"

"I don't know…"

"I'll be there," Andy answered as he stepped outside.

"Really?" Ephram asked hopefully.

Andy nodded. "I wouldn't miss it."

"So, you watched the video's?"

Andy nodded again.

"And?"

"We're okay," Andy replied.

Liv sat up and leaned against Ephram, and they shared a confused look.

"Just like that?" Ephram asked.

Andy sat down on the other side of Liv and took a deep breath before responding. "They filled in the blanks. As I was watching the videos, I realized that what was really bothering me was that you were living with and marrying someone that I had never met." Andy looked at Ephram. "I still think you're too young, but I don't think it's too fast anymore."

"I'll be 20 when we get married," Ephram reminded his father.

"Doesn't matter. You could be 30 and I would still think you were too young." Andy shrugged. "I guess it's a parent thing…Ephram, I saw you smile more in those videos than I have seen you smile…ever. I saw you happier than I have ever seen you…and as long as you're happy…I'm happy."

Ephram looked at his father in shock. He had hoped that seeing how they really were would allow him to accept that they were getting married, but he hadn't expected a complete turn around. For the first time in a very long time he smiled at his father. "Thank you."

Andy nodded and smiled back. "Now, I just have one question….Is the tattoo real?"

Ephram laughed and nodded. "Yeah."

"Why would you do that to yourself?" Andy asked, shaking his head.

"It was a dare," he explained. "I don't turn down dares anymore." He glanced at Liv and if possible his smile grew even more. "Not since the first one. That dare was the best thing that ever happened to me."

--_The song is "Everyday I Love You" by Boyzone._


	7. Epilogue

Epilogue

Ephram stood at the front of the church with Bright and Mark, trying to keep his foot from tapping nervously. This was it…their wedding day had finally arrived. He smiled as he watched Delia walk down the aisle, followed by Maggie. Until that moment he hadn't realized how much Delia looked like their mother. He wished she could've been there…she would've loved Liv. Glancing at the first pew he smiled as his gaze swept over his dad, Nina, his grandparents, Hannah, and surprisingly Amy.

The music changed and Ephram took a deep breath before looking towards the doors at the back of the church. His heart skipped a beat as he saw Liv in her wedding dress for the first time. She looked amazing in a white Celtic style gown, with a high waist, and long flowing sleeves that were almost as long as the dress. Her curly black hair was loosely gathered on top of her head, with a few curls hanging down. And in lieu of a veil she had chosen a simple wreath of white flowers, and carried a bouquet of lilies.

Ephram's smile grew as she walked down the aisle on her father's arm. By the time they reached him his smile was so big his cheeks were starting to hurt. Ephram moved to stand next to Liv with her father between them. They turned to face the minister, Reverend O'Donnell, who had married Liv's parents.

"Who gives this woman in marriage?" Rev. O'Donnell asked.

"Her mother and I do," Mr. Perry replied as he placed Liv's hand in Ephram's and sat down next to his wife.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony…" the minister began. "Ephram and Olivia have chosen to say a few words to each other. Olivia…"

Liv handed her bouquet to Maggie and turned to face Ephram, joining their hands. "Ephram, when we first met I was getting over a broken heart, and I didn't really trust it. Then I met you…and my heart knew exactly what it wanted. You are my heart and my soul, and I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you in my life." She stopped and took a deep breath before continuing. "A ceremony is for a day; a marriage is for a lifetime. Today, I join my life with yours for as long as I shall live on this earth, forsaking all others. Ephram, I freely offer myself to you as your wife."

Ephram smiled and squeezed her hands. "A little over a year ago I ran away from home, and came to England. I didn't believe it was possible to want to spend the rest of your life with someone. The last thing I expected to find here was you, and now forever isn't going to be nearly long enough. A ceremony is for a day; a marriage is for a lifetime. Today, I join my life with yours for as long as I shall live on this earth, forsaking all others. Olivia, I freely offer myself to you as your husband."

"Do you, Ephram Brown, take Olivia Perry to be your wife?" Rev. O'Donnell said beginning the vows. "To live together with her in the covenant of marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; forsaking all others, to be faithful to her for as long as you both shall live?"

Ephram gazed into Liv's eyes and squeezed her hands again. "I do."

"Do you, Olivia Perry, take Ephram Brown to be your husband; to live together with him in the covenant of marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, to be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

Liv nodded. "I do."

The minister asked for the rings and they turned to Bright and Maggie, taking the rings they held out, before turning to face each other again.

"The wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond. These rings are a symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end, no giver and no receiver for each is the giver and each is the receiver. May these rings always remind you of the vows you have taken," the minister explained.

Rev. O'Donnell handed Liv's ring to Ephram. After taking the ring, Ephram took her left hand in his. "With this ring I thee wed, and with my body I thee honor, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow," he said as he slid the plain platinum band on her ring finger.

Liv took Ephram's ring from the minister and slid the matching band on his finger as she repeated his words.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Rev. O'Donnell paused and looked at Ephram. "Ephram, you may kiss your bride."

Ephram and Liv smiled at each other before leaning in to share their first kiss as a married couple.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Mr. and Mrs. Ephram Brown," the minister announced as they ended the kiss.

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Bright took a deep breath as he stood and tapped his knife against his glass to get everyone's attention. As all the guests quieted down he looked at the tables scattered around Liv's parent's backyard, and then down at his best friend and his new wife sitting next to him.

Bright took another deep breath and cleared his throat. "Hi, I'm Bright Abbott, the best man. Ephram is my best friend. I remember the day Ephram told me about Liv. He had had a fairly crappy year and he decided to run away to Europe to sort things out. One day he called me, and I asked if he had seen any good sights in London, and I will never forget his answer." He smiled and looked down at Ephram. "I asked if he had seen any good sights, and he answered by saying 'I met the most amazing girl today.' And I have never seen him happier." Bright stopped and raised his glass, and everyone followed his action. "To Ephram and Liv, may you always have love and happiness," he finished.

"To Ephram and Liv," everyone repeated, raising their glasses.

Maggie smiled as Ephram and Liv kissed, and then stood up. "So, I guess it's my turn," she said. "I'm Maggie, the maid of honor. I also remember the day Liv and Ephram met very well. Liv and I were shopping and she was babbling incessantly about some cute guy she had met. I wanted to smack her," she joked, making everyone laugh. "But then I met Ephram and saw what a great guy he is." She turned to face Liv and Ephram. "Bright kind of said what I wanted to say, so I'll just say congratulations guys. I hope I get to make a speech on your 50th wedding anniversary."

000000000000000

Ephram unlocked and opened the hotel room door, but stopped Liv from entering.

Liv looked at him in confusion. "What are you doing?"

While holding the door open, Ephram reached down and swept her up into his arms before entering the room. "I'm carrying my bride over the threshold," he explained, laughing a little as he kicked the door closed behind them.

As they entered the room both looked around in amazement. What was already a beautiful hotel room had been made even more beautiful by the dozen or so lit candles and the rose petals scattered over the floor and bed. On one of the nightstands there was a silver ice bucket with a bottle of champagne chilling, and two glasses. On the center of the bed there was a gift-wrapped box with a large silver bow.

Ephram gently set Liv down as they took in the room. When their gazes finally returned to each other, they both knew who had done all of this. They smiled at each other and said "Maggie" in unison.

Liv turned and headed to the bed, pulling the box towards her as Ephram opened the bottle of champagne. She pulled the card off the box and read it aloud. "To the bride and groom on their special day. May you always have love and happiness, and a whole lot of fun! We love you! Love, Maggie, Mark, Bright, Hannah, Annie, Sara, Nick, and David."

After pouring the champagne, Ephram stood behind his wife and smiled as he read the handwritten card over her shoulder and took in all the signatures.

Liv set the card to the side and opened the box. Inside was a beautiful silver picture frame that had space for two pictures. The one on the right was a picture of Ephram and Liv before they had started dating, but after they had started to fall in love. The other picture had been taken a couple of hours earlier by Nick. Liv was sitting on Ephram's lap and both were holding up their left hands to show their wedding rings, and both had big grins on their faces.

Liv gently ran her finger over their wedding picture. Then she turned her head to face Ephram. He smiled and handed her a glass before taking the picture out of her hand, and moving the box off of the bed.

"So…would you like your wedding present now or later?" Ephram asked. She had given him his gift that morning. It was a silver watch with the inscription "forever…" on the back. Liv had given it to him before the wedding saying that he couldn't wear his old one in the wedding.

Liv pretended to think about his question for a minute. "Now, please."

Ephram nodded. "Sit down," he said nodding toward the bed. He set his glass down and went to retrieve the guitar that he had learned to play in the past year, and Mark had hidden for him earlier that day. He kicked off his shoes, and took off his suit jacket and climbed onto the bed sitting cross-legged across from his wife.

"I though about it for a long time, trying to figure out what I could possible give you that would show you how much I love you. Then I found this song, so…" he explained. Ephram quickly tuned the guitar and began playing.

"Thank you for this moment  
I've gotta say how beautiful you are  
Of all the hopes and dreams I could've prayed for  
Here you are.

If I could have one dance forever  
I would take you by the hand  
Tonight it's you and I together  
I'm so glad I'm your man.

And if I lived a thousand years  
You know I never could explain  
The way I lost my heart to you that day  
But if destiny decided I should look the other way  
Then the world would never know  
The greatest story ever told  
And did I tell you that I love you tonight?

I don't hear the music  
When I'm looking in your eyes  
But I feel the rhythm of your body  
Close to mine  
It's the way we touch that sends me  
It's the way we'll always be  
Your kiss, your pretty smile, you know I'd die for  
Oh baby, you're all I need.

And if I lived a thousand years  
You know I never could explain  
The way I lost my heart to you that day  
But if destiny decided I should look the other way  
Then the world would never know  
The greatest story ever told  
And did I tell you that I love you?  
Just how much I really need you?

Did I tell you that I love you tonight?

And if I lived a thousand years  
You know I never could explain  
The way I lost my heart to you that day  
But if destiny decided I should look the other way  
Then the world would never know  
The greatest story ever told  
And did I tell you that I love you?  
Just how much I really need you?  
Did I tell you that I love you tonight?"

Ephram stopped playing and set the guitar aside. Liv, who had been looking down at her hands looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"And all I got you was a watch," she finally said.

Ephram laughed and took her hands. "I love the watch. It was perfect, and just what I needed." He shrugged. "I just…I love you…"

"I love you, too," Liv replied.

Ephram scooted closer to her and leaned over to kiss her. He couldn't believe everything that had happened in the past year. Who knew it was possible to be this happy? A little over a year ago he didn't believe that it was possible to love someone enough for forever, and now he was married…and he couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with his wife.

The End.

Author's Note: So, that's it. Finally done. First of all, thank you to everyone who reviewed this. This is actually the first fanfic that I've ever published, and I'm glad that you all enjoyed it. Second, if you would like to see a picture of the wedding dress that I was picturing for Liv, please visit this part of the story that is posted on my website. The link is my profile.

Oh, yeah…the song is "The Greatest Story Ever Told" by Oliver James. It's from the "What Girls Want" soundtrack.


End file.
